OSTiN 
 


 

 
With a blazing torch in hand Arlos advanced toward the bear.: 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 A STORY OF ADVENTURE IN THE 
 ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 BY EDWARD S. ELLIS, 
 
 Author of "Adrift in the Wilds" "A Young Hero " "A Jaunt 
 Through Java" "The Young Scout," etc.. etc. 
 
 WITH FIVE PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY GEORGE G. WHITE. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 A. L. BUKT, PUBLISHER. 
 
Copyright, 1898, by A, L. Burt. 
 
 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. PAGE 
 
 Westward Ho! 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 At the Miners' Delight 11 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Arlos and his Guide 24 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 On Guard 38 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 A Lucky Shot 50 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Further Into the Wilds 64 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 A Monarch of the Wilderness 73 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 A Great Exploit 85 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 A Strange Peril 98 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Ra-lo-no Ill 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Interesting News 125 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 A " Bad Man." 138 
 
 863024 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. PAGE 
 
 The Camp of the Enemy 152 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 A Tragedy 166 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 An Unpleasant Discovery 180 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 In the House of Friends 191 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 The Crotalus 203 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 On the Trail 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Medicine Man 228 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 The Signal Fire 237 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 The Gold Hunters 244 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 All Ready 264 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Conclusion. . . . 271 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WESTWARD HO ! 
 
 IT is not often that a vigorous young man devoted 
 to athletic sports and pastimes, fond of fishing and 
 hunting, and a fine horseman, injures his health on 
 account of too close application to study ; but that 
 is precisely what occurred in the case of Arlos Hay- 
 man when he was only eighteen years of age. 
 
 Arlos found, upon going back to his studies in 
 the civil engineering school one autumn, that he 
 had fallen woefully behind his class. He was so 
 humiliated that he set his teeth with the grim reso- 
 lution that he would forswear all amusement and 
 exercise until he had fully made up his deficiencies. 
 
 And he did it. He pulled up to the head of his 
 class, only in the hour of triumph to collapse 
 utterly. Had he not been accustomed to active, 
 outdoor life, this might not have happened. 
 
 His condition was alarming. Heroic measures 
 were all that could save him. 
 
2 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 His father called upon Dr. Kleinman, the family 
 physician. 
 
 The, dactor. listened with the interest he always 
 slio\ved in his patients. He and the banker, Mr. 
 Hay man, had been intimate friends for years, and 
 the doctor was specially fond of young Hayman, 
 who was named for him. He asked several incisive 
 questions and then gave his decision. 
 
 " There's but one thing to be done. From what 
 you have told me he is in a bad way. Accustomed 
 from boyhood to fresh air and rugged exercise, he 
 has almost committed suicide by his cessation of 
 everything of that nature. He has taken all the 
 strength from his body and thrown the terrific 
 strain upon his brain. It can't stand it. He must 
 cease to use his brain, and rebuild his con- 
 stitution." 
 
 " But, doctor," said the elder Hayman, " Arlos 
 feels a repugnance to physical exertion that 
 amounts to disgust. I cannot persuade him to take 
 his gun in hand, or to indulge in any of the sports 
 of which he used to be so fond." 
 
 "That is natural, and only emphasizes what I 
 have said about the urgent need of the change 
 recommended." 
 
 "How would a trip to Europe do ?" 
 
 " Ordinarily it would be a capital tonic, but it 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 3 
 
 won't serve in his case. At the end of a week he 
 will be on the other side of the Atlantic. What 
 inducement would he find there for exercise, the 
 one thing which he needs ? He would be in danger 
 of falling into dissipation and wouldn't live a week. 
 No ; a trip to Europe will not answer." 
 
 " Then you recommend a long sea voyage?" 
 
 " In many cases that would be just the thing, but 
 it will not do for Arlos. The routine life on board 
 a sailing ship would become unbearable. The sea 
 air is beneficial and for a time he would improve, 
 but he can't attempt to play sailor. He is too 
 weak to begin. At the end of a month he would 
 probably be as bad if not worse than when he left 
 home. It will not answer." 
 
 " Doctor, you hold out no hope," said his caller 
 despairingly. 
 
 " You mistake me ; Arlos can be made himself in 
 the course of a few months. The path to perfect 
 health is plainly marked before him." 
 
 "Will you point it out?" 
 
 " Your boy is fond of hunting. Send him to the 
 far West ; to the Sierras or the Rocky Mountains, 
 to spend several months. He will find royal game, 
 he will live out of doors, he will be away from 
 books, he will breathe ozone, he will have a touch 
 of dangerous adventure that will put him on his 
 
4 LOST Itf f H ROCKIES. 
 
 mettle, he will form a love for the stir and excite- 
 ment of such a life, and when he comes back to you 
 he will be well, just what he ought to be, a strong, 
 sturdy, manly young fellow." 
 
 " I see the wisdom of your counsel, doctor, but I 
 fear Arlos cannot be persuaded to adopt the treat- 
 ment ; the medicine is too distasteful. His antipathy 
 to all manner of physical exertion is too deep-seated 
 to be overcome." 
 
 " There can be no trouble about arranging that," 
 remarked Dr. Kleinman in so cheery a voice that 
 his caller insensibly imbibed the hopeful feeling. 
 " I have had just as bad cases. It is now about the 
 close of my office hours, and I will go around to 
 your home with you. I wish to have an interview 
 with this young gentleman." 
 
 Arlos Hayman was reclining on the lounge in the 
 sitting-room, his mother and sister Miriam his only 
 companions. He was pale, thin, weak, with lack- 
 luster eyes. His courteous nature and breeding 
 caused him to rise and extend his hand in friendly 
 greeting to his friend, who saw that the slight effort 
 was exhausting 
 
 When the way had been fairly paved the doctor 
 told Arlos that he had arranged an excursion for him. 
 Noticing the disappointed expression that immedi- 
 ately came over the wan countenance, the physician 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 5 
 
 added with an air and voice of heartiness that could 
 not offend the most whimsical patient : 
 
 "It doesn't make a whit of difference to me 
 whether you like it or not; that doesn't enter into 
 the question. You've got to do as I say ; do you 
 hear that, young man ?" 
 
 "I learned long ago, doctor, that there's little use 
 of disputing you." 
 
 " Very well, sir ; don't forget that fact. Mrs. 
 Hayman, how long will it take you to pack up this 
 boy's traps, so as to bundle him off for several 
 months' absence ?" 
 
 " Why," replied the surprised mother, " I pre- 
 sume we could do it to-morrow." 
 
 " Very well, do it. Perhaps it's rather too late 
 to begin to-night, but to-morrow complete the job. 
 Miriam can give some help, I suppose, by taking a 
 seat in a convenient chair and making criticisms. 
 As for Arlos, make him work. Don't let him 
 deceive you; he has an excellent Winchester; let 
 him see that that is in shape." 
 
 " But for what purpose ?" asked Arlos, interested, 
 but a little startled. 
 
 "To-morrow night you will take the train for 
 San Francisco, but you're not going there." 
 
 " Then why board that train ?" 
 
 " Don't be impertinent, young man," replied the 
 
6 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 doctor, with an assumption of severity which 
 deceived no one. "You will leave the train at 
 some point this side of the Rocky mountains. Den- 
 ver will be a good station, for it is not far from 
 that range. Leaving the railway at that point, push 
 to the north or northwest, and never stop until you 
 are in the heart of the wildest regions on this conti- 
 nent." 
 
 " And what then ?" asked Arlos, amused in spite 
 of himself. 
 
 " Go to shooting grizzly bears, antelope, deer and 
 wolves, scalping an Indian now and then to give 
 variety to the thing; take a look round for any 
 gold or silver mines that may have been lost ; don't 
 be too rough with the ' bad men ' that you may run 
 against ; sleep outdoors, climb mountains, plow 
 through snowdrifts, swim mountain torrents, and 
 well, lots of other things that will occur to you." 
 
 The face of the doctor was so serious that every 
 one laughed. He turned toward Arlos and said 
 severely : 
 
 " Well, sir, what have you to say ?" 
 
 " I don't see that it will do any good for me to 
 say anything. My wishes have not been consulted 
 in the matter," replied Arlos. 
 
 " Of course not, for you have no business to have 
 any wishes. It's a piece of impudence on your part 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 7 
 
 to presume anything of the kind. You have twenty- 
 four hours to make your preparations. I shall 
 come, round to-morrow evening, and if I find you 
 here well, sir, you will regret it." 
 
 Arlos Hay man looked appealingly at his father 
 and mother. If they had given him so much as a 
 glance of encouragement he would have rebelled. 
 
 The youth uttered a dismal, half-comical sigh. 
 
 "I'll do it if it kills me." 
 
 " If it kills you?" repeated the doctor. " It will 
 save you ! It will bring you back at the end of a 
 year a strong, healthy, rugged youth ; though, if I 
 may add a recommendation, it is that after you 
 have slain all the grizzly bears, wolves, and hostile 
 red men this side of the Sierras, you continue your 
 journey to San Francisco, and there embark for 
 India or Australia, and make a circuit of the world. 
 In that case, I should feel sure that ia picking up 
 your health again you will also imbibe some com- 
 mon sense and won't make such a fool of yourself 
 as you have during the past year." 
 
 The physician rose to depart. Stepping across 
 the room to the lounge, he took the flaccid hand of 
 the former athlete within his own. 
 
 " My dear boy, I have not the slightest doubt that 
 you will make this journey to the West precisely as 
 I have outlined it." 
 
8 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " Why are you so confident, doctor ?" asked Arlos, 
 who was on his feet, with a greater display of 
 energy than he had yet shown. 
 
 " Because you have given me your promise. You 
 are my namesake. You scorn a lie as much as I do. 
 You will keep your pledge, though it kills you, 
 which it won't do." 
 
 The doctor was tactful in uttering these words. 
 He feared that his young friend, when he came to 
 think more deliberately over what was certainly a 
 serious undertaking, would be frightened, and seek 
 to draw back. He therefore put the boy upon 
 his honor, knowing how exalted his moral sense 
 was. 
 
 An encouraging feature of the situation was the 
 interest which Arlos showed in the discussion of the 
 theme after the departure of the physician. He sat 
 erect and laughed when his sister Miriam recalled 
 several of the mirthful stories told by the physician, 
 and began to speculate over the expedition upon 
 which he had resolved to embark. 
 
 He admitted that only a brief while before he 
 had been urged by his old friend, Dolph Bushkirk, 
 who had lived a number of years in Denver, to 
 spend several weeks with him on a hunt among the 
 mountains. The excursion was wonderfully en- 
 chanting to Arlos, and it was only his desire to 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 9 
 
 complete his studies that prevented his accepting 
 the invitation. 
 
 He would have preferred to write to his friend 
 and learn whether he could join him in the jaunt, 
 but that would involve a delay of more than a week 
 at the least, and Dr. Kleinman would not listen to it. 
 
 "I will telegraph to Dolph to-morrow," said 
 Arlos, " and let him know when to look for me. If 
 anything prevents his joining me I shall have to 
 pick up some one else." 
 
 " Of course," remarked his mother, trying to con- 
 ceal her solicitude, " you will not venture into those 
 frightful solitudes alone." 
 
 The son laughed. 
 
 " The solitudes are by no means so frightful as 
 they seem to you, mother. The Union Pacific Kail- 
 way has been completed for several years. The 
 country is settling fast, and we shall have to go a 
 long way from Denver to reach the wild country 
 that the doctor insists shall be my home for an 
 indefinite time to come." 
 
 " But what about the Indians ?" asked the alarmed 
 Miriam. 
 
 The ring of laughter with which Arlos greeted 
 this question filled the hearts of his parents with 
 joy. 
 
 " Some years ago and not so very many either 
 
10 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 there might have been good cause for your ques- 
 tion, but the red men don't enter into any account 
 now. They are all at peace with the United 
 States." 
 
 " Still there are bad characters among them," the 
 father thought it wise to remark. 
 
 " So there are hundreds and thousands of bad 
 characters right here in the city of New York. I 
 would rather meet the worst Indians in the most 
 remote regions of the Northwest than many white 
 persons that can be found within a block of where 
 we are sitting this minute." 
 
 As Dr. Kleinman had promised, he called at the 
 home of the Haymans the following evening to in- 
 quire about Arlos. He was told that he was already 
 several hundred miles on the road to the Pacific 
 slope. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 11 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 ARLOS HAYMAN was surprised and delighted by a 
 discovery which grew upon him, after he had bid- 
 den his parents and sister good- by and started for 
 the great West. His interest in the expedition con- 
 tinually increased, and he found himself looking 
 forward to the few weeks or months he expected to 
 spend in the mountains with the keenest anticipa- 
 tion of enjoyment. 
 
 He was still weak and easily fatigued, but felt 
 decidedly better by the time he reached Chicago, 
 and leaving the train, enjoyed a few hours' ramble 
 about the Lake City, which he had never before 
 visited. 
 
 But he was eager to be on his way and was soon 
 hurrying westward again. 
 
 At Denver his first disappointment met him. As 
 joyous and hopeful as a child, he did not wait till 
 the train had stopped, but leaped out upon the plat- 
 form and looked expectantly around for his old 
 friend, Dolph Bushkirk, 
 
12 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " Hello, Arlos, I hardly knew you !" 
 
 Young Hayman turned to greet not a youth like 
 himself, but a bearded man, whom he recognized as 
 Mr. Bushkirk, the father of Adolphus. The gentle- 
 man shook him warmly by the hand and showed 
 by his looks that he was startled at the greatly 
 altered appearance of his young friend. 
 
 " Where is Dolph ?" asked Arlos. " There's noth- 
 ing wrong with him, I hope." 
 
 " Nothing at all, I am glad to say, but it was 
 most unfortunate that your telegram was delayed. 
 My carriage is waiting and we will talk as we ride 
 homeward. 
 
 "I believe Dolph wrote to you a couple of 
 months ago, proposing that you should join him on 
 a hunting excursion ?" added Mr. Bushkirk, after 
 entering the vehicle. 
 
 " Yes ; I was tempted to join him, but I had fallen 
 behind in my studies and was determined to catch 
 up if it cost my life, and it came near doing so," ex- 
 plained Arlos. " But where is Dolph ?" 
 
 " Away. I received your telegram and opened it. 
 I did not reply because I feared it might prevent 
 your coming. I do not expect Dolph back for a 
 number of weeks ; perhaps not for months." 
 
 "Where is he?" 
 
 " He started last week for a hunt in the moun- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 13 
 
 tains. Almost his last words expressed his regret 
 that you could not go with him." 
 
 " Too bad !" commented the disappointed Arlos ; 
 " by that I mean it is too bad for me, for it is ray 
 loss as it is my fault. He urged me to go with him, 
 but I declined so decisively that he did not repeat 
 the invitation." 
 
 " Yes, Dolph and a friend named Yarnum Brown, 
 a veteran hunter ; took the stage to Central City. 
 There they will procure horses and push on toward 
 the headwaters of the Grand River, which is one of 
 the wildest regions in the Rocky Mountains. I 
 have heard such stories of the canyon of the Grand 
 River that I was tempted to go with them, though 
 they are not likely to see that wonderful place. 
 The sources of Green River and the Platte are not 
 very far to the north, and one is sure to meet the 
 most royal game on the American continent." 
 
 " I wonder whether there is any hope of my over- 
 taking Dolph and his friend ?" 
 
 " Since they have had a week's start it is hardly 
 possible, unless some accident has befallen them. 
 They are in no hurry and yet have no cause to lag ; 
 but inasmuch as you are both aiming for the same 
 region, it seems to me you have reason for looking 
 for a meeting with Dolph, before either of you 
 returns," 
 
14 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " It is a big hunting territory." 
 
 " So it is, covering thousands of square miles. 
 There are other white men and a few Indians in 
 the mountains, and you may never get within 
 sight of where Brown and Dolph are trying to 
 thin out the game. Of course you will not go 
 alone ?" 
 
 " I would not think of it ; I will need a moun- 
 taineer of experience, who is acquainted with the 
 country, the game and the inhabitants ; but where 
 shall I find a guide of that kind ?" 
 
 Mr. Bushkirk had a large family, consisting of 
 four girls and three boys, all of whom with the ex- 
 ception of the eldest, were at home. They had 
 been friends and neighbors of the Haymans 
 before moving West, so that Arlos was among old 
 acquaintances. 
 
 That evening the plans of the visitor were dis- 
 cussed, and a line of action agreed upon. The 
 youth was to make his way on the morrow with his 
 gun and baggage to Central City. There he would 
 wait until he could find a trustworthy guide whom he 
 could engage to accompany him into the mountains. 
 
 They would try to hunt up Dolph Bushkirk and 
 his companion, but would not neglect the real errand 
 the pursuit of health and recreation which took 
 Arlos thither. 
 
LOSf IN f HE ROCKIES. 15 
 
 The first part of this scheme was carried out to 
 the letter. The time of which I am writing was 
 not long after the completion of the railway across 
 the continent, when hundreds of the thriving towns 
 and cities of the West were not dreamed of, and 
 many vast, dismal solitudes were yet unbroken by 
 the feet of the pioneer. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon of a bright, invigor- 
 ating spring day that Arlos Hayman, who was 
 the only passenger in the ramshackle coach, 
 descended in front of the Miners' Delight, with 
 the intention of staying perhaps for two or three 
 days. 
 
 In the long, rough ride thither, he shared the 
 front seat with Yal Perkins, the driver, from whom 
 he gathered much interesting information. He 
 learned that Dolph Bushkirk and Yarnum Brown 
 had ridden with him just six days previous over the 
 same route. They had stayed at the Miners' Delight 
 one night and part of the next day, when, having 
 brought a couple of tough little ponies, they set out 
 for the mountains to the northwest. 
 
 The driver did not know their precise destination, 
 but thought Belix Jenkins, the landlord, might be 
 able to give his passenger a pointer or two. 
 
 Among other things Arlos learned a great deal 
 concerning Central City itself, so that he showed 
 
16 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 no disappointment or surprise when he found that 
 the " city " consisted of barel y a score of rude 
 shanties, among which the Miners' Delight was the 
 one and only inn where travelers could obtain the 
 rudest kind of accommodations. The lower floor 
 consisted of two rooms, of which the largest con- 
 tained the bar, where most of the city assembled 
 each evening to smoke, drink, gamble, talk, and 
 occasionally to exchange revolver shots. 
 
 Belix Jenkins, the landlord, was a burly Mis- 
 sourian, six feet three in his stockings, with the 
 strength of an ox, and the courage of a lion. He 
 lived in the rear lower room, while two small 
 apartments upstairs, reached by the help of a slop- 
 ing ladder, were reserved for the guests who at 
 rare intervals came that way. 
 
 The quarters were anything but inviting to Arlos, 
 but he had good sense and tact, and could accom- 
 modate himself to circumstances. He was prepared 
 to make the best of everything and offend no one, 
 unless such a person was bent on having trouble. 
 
 Inasmuch as no person would undertake to carry 
 a large trunk around with him while hunting in the 
 mountains, Arlos meant to leave his at the Miners' 
 Delight, against his return. Such articles as were 
 indispensable could be carried on the back of the 
 horse he intended to buy. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 17 
 
 He was satisfied from the careful inquiries he 
 made that Belix Jenkins, though rough, combative, 
 and poorly educated, was, like many of his class, 
 honest and trustworthy. The stage driver, in the 
 course of the conversation, incidentally told how 
 two tourists, on their way to the mountains, left 
 five thousand dollars in money, beside a quantity of 
 valuable jewelry, with the proprietor of the Miners' 
 Delight. They never returned, and some months 
 after their departure it was learned that both had 
 been killed by Indians. 
 
 They had not left instructions with Jenkins as to 
 what he should do with their property in the event 
 of their death, and he had no means of learning 
 who their friends were. He was advised to ap- 
 propriate to his own use the windfall which had 
 thus come to him. 
 
 He refused to entertain the thought. He made 
 a journey to Denver, and deposited the money and 
 jewelry in the bank, where he swore it should 
 remain until the crack of doom unless the legal 
 heirs came forward and proved their claims. 
 
 That night, after finishing his supper of ex- 
 cellent game, Arlos told the land lord that he had a 
 thousand dollars which he desired to leave with him. 
 
 " I don't see what use I can make of money in 
 the mountains," explained the youth, " and I shall 
 
18 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 be likely to lose it. I wish to hire a guide to go with 
 me, to buy a couple of ponies, and then, reserving 
 a little money for possible contingencies, I wish to 
 place the rest with my trunk and extra baggage in 
 your charge." 
 
 " I'll take it on one condition," replied the land- 
 lord, who, having no family of his own, was seated 
 at the table with his solitary guest. 
 
 "What's that?" 
 
 " That you don't try any such low-down trick as 
 them two Englishmen that was here summer before 
 last played on me." 
 
 " What did they do ?" 
 
 " Went off and got skulped by Injins ; didn't 
 leave me any directions as to what I should do, 
 and consequently caused me a thunderin' lot of 
 trouble." 
 
 " I shall certainly do my best to keep out of such 
 a hole ; but if anything should happen to me, you'll 
 find full directions inside of my trunk, which you 
 can open with this key." 
 
 " All right," replied the landlord, shoving the 
 implement into his pocket ; " it's a go." 
 
 " Now," went on Arlos, " what about the horses ?" 
 
 " I will see that you get what you want. Some 
 of the boys may try to work off their old plugs on 
 you, but leave the matter with me." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 19 
 
 " I will be glad to do so. More important than 
 the animals is the hiring of the right sort of guide." 
 
 Belix Jenkins had left the bar in charge of his 
 assistant, so he was in no hurry to return. He lit 
 his pipe, and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, 
 made of rough planking. 
 
 " There's only one man in Central City that I 
 could recommend, and I ain't sure that I can 
 recommend him, or that if I done so, you could get 
 him." 
 
 " Tell me about him." 
 
 " The chap I have in mind is Budd Slogan. 
 There ain't a better hunter and mountaineer 
 between the Missouri and Rio Grande. He 
 traveled for years with Kit Carson, and was his 
 equal all the way through. He sarved a couple of 
 years in the Confederate army, and is in the prime 
 of life." 
 
 " What is the objection to him ?" 
 
 " Wai, in the fust place, Budd has got it into his 
 head that there's bushels of gold in the mountain 
 side which the same may be the fact and he 
 wants to put in his time hunting for that. How- 
 sumever, I guess you can get him to postpone that 
 bus'ness for awhile, if you pay him purty well." 
 
 " How much ought I to offer him for his services 
 as guide and hunter?" 
 
20 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 "How long do you expect to be in the moun- 
 tains ?" 
 
 " I cannot say positively, but I should guess about 
 a month or six weeks." 
 
 " A hundred dollars a month is good pay." 
 
 " I will be glad to do better than that." 
 
 "Would you be willing to give him, say, one 
 hundred and fifty a month ?" 
 
 " Quite. Suppose I offer him four hundred dol- 
 lars for the job, with the understanding that it 
 shan't last longer than two months, or, if it does, I 
 shall pay him at the same rate ?" 
 
 " That'll fix him dead to rights. The chance is 
 too good for him to throw away." 
 
 "And I'll give him half of it in advance; 
 and " 
 
 "No, you won't. You won't give him a cent 
 until he gets back," interrupted the landlord 
 decisively. "Any other plan will bust the deal." 
 
 " How, then, shall it be arranged ?" 
 
 " You will give the terms in my presence. He'll 
 agree to 'em, powerful sudden. I'll tell him you've 
 put the money in my hands, and when he comes 
 back with you I'll see that the agreement is 
 kept." 
 
 " It secures me against loss, and if, as you feel 
 certain, he will accept the conditions, nothing could 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 21 
 
 suit me better. You intimated, however, that you 
 did not recommend him unreservedly." 
 
 " The trouble with Budd is that he has the con- 
 foundest thirst on him of any chap this side of the 
 Mississippi. If you paid him two hundred dollars 
 you couldn't pry him away from Central City with 
 a forty-foot cowbar until he had drunk every cent 
 of it, and then he wouldn't be fit for anything 
 inside of a week. When Budd is drunk he's as 
 ugly as a grizzly b'ar with the measles, but when 
 he's sober he's one of the best fellers that ever 
 lived." 
 
 " But he will be unable to procure any liquor 
 after leaving this place." 
 
 " That's true, onless he takes it with him, and he 
 can't carry 'nough to hurt him. The trouble is, how- 
 sumever, that Budd has got plenty of funds now. 
 He rode into Central City three days ago, and has 
 been guzzling ever since. He's got one of the best 
 animals in the place, so if you hire him you'll have 
 to buy only one pony and trappings for yourself. 
 I'll fix it about his drinking," added the landlord, 
 with the manner of one who has reached the solu- 
 tion of a puzzling problem. 
 
 " How ?" 
 
 " The Miners' Delight is the only place within 
 fifty miles where he can get a drop. I'll shet down 
 
%% LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 on him. It will make him mad, but I don't care 
 for that, purvided he doesn't mount his pony and 
 start for Glencoe, Sunset, Boulder, or some other 
 place, where he can drink as long as his money 
 holds out." 
 
 " Where shall I see Slogan " 
 
 " He will be here to-night. You had better leave 
 the matter with me, for if he kicks purty hard it 
 won't do for you to talk to him. He might not 
 treat you white ; I'll handle him the best I know 
 how." 
 
 " I am sure of that ; you place me under great 
 obligations and I shall be happy " 
 
 " That'll do on that p'int ; we'll adjourn to the 
 barroom now, as it's time to light the lamps. Pete 
 will 'tend to these things." 
 
 Fete was the young man, not specially bright- 
 witted, who acted as barkeeper when Landlord 
 Jenkins was called away, and who did the cooking 
 and such chores as were necessary about the Miners' 
 Delight. 
 
 As the landlord and his guest entered the large 
 room of the hotel, the former spoke to Pete, who 
 nodded and passed back into the living-room, which 
 served all other purposes except the lodgment of the 
 guests. 
 
 Three of the citizens of Central City were stand- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 23 
 
 ing at the bar, glasses in hand. They looked at 
 Arlos curiously, and one of them invited him to 
 drink. The youth thanked him and said ho never 
 partook of liquor. 
 
 The man instantly flared up. 
 
 " When I axes a stranger to drink with me, and 
 he insults me by slingin' back the words in my 
 teeth, he's got to apolergize, or fight, or 
 
 The iron grip of Landlord Jenkins was on the 
 speaker's neck, with the other hand upon his trou- 
 sers. The astonished miner dropped his glass with 
 a crash and tried to stay his progress toward the 
 outer air. But he was a child in the hands of a 
 giant. 
 
 The next moment he was flung headlong out of 
 the door, and the proprietor of the Miners' Delight 
 walked calmly back behind his bar with the remark : 
 
 " This young feller's my friend, and he doesn't 
 drink with nobody 'cepting myself ; you hear what 
 I say, pards." 
 
 They heard him, and hearing, heeded his words. 
 
24 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 AELOS AND HIS GUIDE. 
 
 ARLOS took the most modest place he could find 
 in the Miners' Delight. The seats consisted mainly 
 of stools, empty boxes, and one or two strong chairs. 
 It was an interesting study for him to watch these 
 men, of whom eight or nine appeared before the 
 evening was well advanced. 
 
 They were not all miners, but they formed a 
 coarse, rough, heavily-bearded set, with their trou- 
 sers tucked in their boots, slouch hats on their 
 heads, and most of them without coat or vest, in 
 place of which was a red or blue flannel shirt. The 
 belt around the waist was full of cartridges, while 
 the revolver at the hip was always ready for instant 
 service, and those fellows knew how to use it. 
 
 Despite his retired position Arlos naturally 
 attracted notice, and several invitations to drink 
 followed.. He invariably declined, saying that 
 Landlord Jenkins had arranged that he should do 
 all his drinking with him. The point was generally 
 caught at once and no unpleasant attention followed. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 25 
 
 The youth entered into conversation with a num- 
 ber, with whom he soon established pleasant rela- 
 tions. But he was on the lookout for Budd Slogan, 
 who from some unexpected cause was a long time 
 in showing up. 
 
 It was past nine o'clock when a short, heavy-set, 
 powerful-looking man, attired much the same as the 
 others, roughly pushed open the door, and strid- 
 ing up to the bar struck his fist upon it, turned 
 round so as to face the rest, and said in a ringing 
 voice : 
 
 " Come, pards, nominate your p'ison." 
 
 Promptly all went forward excepting Arlos Hay- 
 man, a slight which the newcomer was quick to 
 notice. 
 
 "What's the matter with you, stranger?" he 
 demanded, with a threatening look. 
 
 u Nothing ; I never drink." 
 
 Arlos had caught a nod from the landlord when 
 this individual entered, which told him that he was 
 Budd Slogan. He decided to be frank with him, a 
 thing he could well afford to do, when he knew 
 Jenkins would back him up in it. 
 
 Budd seemed taken back by the promptness with 
 which he was answered. 
 
 " Stranger, you're nothin' more'n a boy ; if you 
 was a man and insulted me like that, you'd never 
 
26 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 get a chance to insult any one else. I must insist, 
 howsumever, that you take a drink with me." 
 
 Arlos saw that the landlord was watching events 
 closely and he felt no fear. He arose smilingly and 
 walked forward to the bar, Budd Slogan keeping 
 his eye on him with curious interest. 
 
 " Hanged if you ain't the finest-looking younker 
 I've seen in a good while, only your face is as pale 
 as a girl's and you don't look stronger than a 
 kitten." 
 
 " And I am not much stronger," said Arlos. 
 
 " What's the matter, younker ?" 
 
 u I have been very sick. I have come out here 
 for my health ; it will take me a good while to get 
 well. I have never drunk liquor and it would in- 
 jure me to do so; besides, I have given my father 
 and mother my promise never to drink. I am sure, 
 therefore, that you will excuse me for not joining 
 you." 
 
 The incident had taken a fortunate turn for Arlos 
 Hayman. No words or line of conduct could have 
 been wiser. He had won the sympathy of the 
 rough hunter, who said, with a show of feeling 
 which surprised his companions : 
 
 "That explanation shows you're a gentleman, 
 stranger, even if you are only a younker, and when 
 a man speaks about his father and mother like that 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 27 
 
 he hits me hard. I once had a mother, but she is 
 dead long ago, and it was lucky for her, 'cause it was 
 afore she had time to know what a worthless scamp 
 of a son she had. What's your name ?" 
 
 "Arlos Hayman." 
 
 " Whar from ?" 
 
 " The city of New York." 
 
 " Party fair-sized town, ain't it ?" 
 
 " Yes, the largest in this country ; contains a 
 million people, and buildings fourteen stories 
 high--" 
 
 " Thar! that'll do," interrupted Budd Slogan, hold- 
 ing his glass suspended in hand, the others doing the 
 same and listening amusedly to the conversation. 
 " I've heerd something like that afore and warned 
 the chap down in Deadwood that if he slung that 
 statement at me agin about the aforesaid houses 
 with ten or twelve or fourteen stories, it meant 
 fight, and I had the drop on him. What you had 
 said previous sorter drawed me toward you, but 
 don't sp'ile the bus'ness by any such yarns. I'll 
 forgive you if you don't say it agin." 
 
 Arlos laughed and said : 
 
 " Very well. We'll drop it, Budd." 
 
 " How the mischief did you know my name?" 
 
 " I am going on a hunt up the mountains. I am 
 looking for the best hunter and guide in the coun- 
 
28 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. . 
 
 try, and am willing to pay him a good price for his 
 services. When I made inquiry for my man I was 
 told there was only one such individual, and his 
 name was Budd Slogan. I received so good a 
 description of you that I knew you the moment you 
 entered the room." 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed one of the party with a 
 laugh, in which the others joined. "It's on you, 
 Budd." 
 
 The hunter could not help being pleased at the 
 neat manner in which he had been complimented. 
 Arlos thereby strengthened the good impression 
 already made. 
 
 The man looked quizzically at the youth for a 
 moment, then drank the liquor in his glass, the rest 
 joining him, after which he solemnly extended his 
 hand. 
 
 " Younker, put it thar. You'll do." 
 
 " You're right," added Landlord Jenkins. " He's 
 true blue, and, Budd, if you aren't the biggest fool 
 this side of the Pacific, you'll shet down on guzzling 
 and make your bargain with that young man. He's 
 offering you a chance which you don't get every 
 day." 
 
 The hunter was impressed. He stood a moment 
 as if debating whether to continue his drinking or 
 to stop. Belix Jenkins was resolved that he should 
 
Arlos and the hunter sat down by the table, on which a lamp was burning. 
 Page 29. 
 
I _ 
 
 : ... . . 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 29 
 
 not indulge to any extent, but it would be much 
 preferable to have him. refrain of his own free 
 will. 
 
 "There's a lamp burning in t'other room," he 
 said. " Go in there, Budd, with him, and talk over 
 this bus'ness." 
 
 " Come on," added Arlos, stepping briskly into 
 the adjoining apartment. " It won't take us long to 
 reach a decision." 
 
 The hunter followed, and, closing the door between 
 the two rooms, they sat down by the table, on 
 which a lamp was burning. 
 
 A few minutes later Arlos partly opened the door 
 and beckoned to the landlord, who stepped forward. 
 
 " Can you give us a minute or two ?" 
 
 " Of course," he replied, leaving the bar to his 
 factotum, Pete. 
 
 " "Well, it's all settled, Mr. Jenkins. Budd agrees 
 to go with me on the terms I named to you." 
 
 " What mought they be ?" 
 
 " Four hundred dollars for the trip, if it does not 
 exceed two months, and at the same rate for all 
 time beyond that." 
 
 " Whew ! but that's a big price. Budd may claim 
 that he's got more, but I wouldn't believe it if he 
 swore to it." 
 
 " I hain't made any such claim," grinned Budd. 
 
30 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " But don't you think I orter have a part of my 
 wages in advance ?" 
 
 "What fur?" demanded the landlord savagely. 
 
 " Wai, it seems more business-like, that's all." 
 
 " You haven't any family. You don't want any 
 money in the mountains, and if you had it you 
 would drink it all up. No, sir. Budd, this young 
 gentleman has placed the funds in my hands, and 
 when you bring him back you shall have every cent 
 he has promised, but you don't get a smell of the 
 money afore. You hear me ?" 
 
 "Bein' as you're talking loud enough to be heard 
 halfway to the Big Horn range, I may say confer- 
 dently I do hear you, Belix ; and bein' also and 
 likewise that I ain't got any put in this matter, why, 
 I accept the terms, and am ready to start just as 
 soon as the younker says the word." 
 
 The best feature of the arrangement one indeed 
 that was better than Landlord Jenkins expected 
 was Budd Slogan's abstention from drinking. He 
 spent half an hour more with Arlos, going over the 
 details of their plans, and when he was through 
 strode out of the barroom without stopping at the 
 bar. 
 
 He had given his promise both to the youth and 
 the landlord that he would not touch a drop of 
 liquor, except that which was contained in the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 31 
 
 small flask Mr. Jenkins promised to present to him 
 before starting. 
 
 So excellently was everything arranged that on 
 the following morning, before the forenoon was half 
 gone, Arlos Hayman and Budd Slogan rode away 
 from Central City, fully prepared for their hunting 
 excursion in the neighborhood of the wild forests of 
 the Rocky Mountains, known as Middle Park. 
 
 Arlos was furnished with a fine, tough little pony, 
 who mated well with the animal ridden by his com- 
 panion. Arlos was told that the name of the animal 
 was "Jack," while Budd addressed his as "Rio 
 Grande." 
 
 " Which the same is on account that he hain't 
 never been within a thousand miles of that muddy 
 stream of water which half the time don't desarve 
 the name of river," he explained. 
 
 They took with them as scant a supply of luggage 
 as was possible. Each had a strong, heavy blanket 
 strapped behind his saddle and a few smaller arti- 
 cles. The larger weapon in both cases was a fine 
 Winchester, accompanied by an excellent revolver, 
 hunting-knife, and a plentiful supply of cartridges. 
 
 " Thar's one thing I'd like to leave behind," re- 
 marked Budd, " 'cause bringing it along don't give 
 me any solid comfort." 
 
 "What may that be?" 
 
32 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " My thirst. I must have been born with a thirst, 
 for I can't remember when I hain't had it." 
 
 " I think it will leave you before long." 
 
 " P'rhaps ; but Belix give me a flask of his stuff. 
 Bein' as I can't have no peace as long as that stuff 
 is wabbling 'round the outside of me, why, I'll shift 
 it to the interior of the aforesaid Budd Slogan, and 
 then, by gracious ! I can't help myself." 
 
 Arlos could not object, though he would have 
 been glad had his friend not brought the flask with 
 him. 
 
 The guide drew it from the pocket of his coat 
 (for, like Arlos, he had donned one of those gar- 
 ments), twisted out the cork, put the mouth of 
 the flask between his lips, and threw his head back 
 with the bottom of the vessel pointed toward the 
 sky. 
 
 The youth watched him while the fluid gurgled 
 down his throat. 
 
 " I wonder whether there is enough to make him 
 ugly. He is taking a big drink, and he may become 
 morose and savage " 
 
 At this instant Budd snatched away the vessel 
 from his mouth, and with an angry expletive flung 
 it fifty feet from him. At the same time he sent 
 much of the fluid flying from his mouth in spray 
 and mist. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 33 
 
 Glaring like a wild beast at the wondering Arlos, 
 he demanded : 
 
 " Do you call Belix Jenkins a Christian ?" 
 " I did not know that he claimed to be one." 
 " He'd better not, confound him ! What do you 
 s'pose he done ?" 
 
 " I'm sure I cannot tell." 
 " Why, he filled that flask with water !" 
 At the risk of offending his friend Arlos broke 
 into hearty laughter, which continued until his 
 sides ached. 
 
 Budd seriously meditated turning about and hav- 
 ing it out with the author of the trick ; but they 
 were already several miles on the road, and little 
 was to be gained by going back to the Miners' De- 
 light. Slowly he recovered from his anger and gave 
 his thoughts to the more serious work before them. 
 Ever since starting, and indeed long before, the 
 sky to the northwest, the west, and southwest was 
 filled by the vast mountain ranges, whose crests 
 rose far above the snow line and presented the same 
 spotless covering during the most sultry tempera- 
 ture of summer. The country over which the two 
 horsemen approached the foothills was rough, and 
 with so luxuriant a growth of succulent grass and 
 vegetation that it afforded the best of grazing for 
 their ponies. 
 
34 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 There was an abundance of water also in the 
 form of small streams, which, winding hither and 
 yon, in time joined with larger ones, eventually to 
 become some of the most important rivers, having 
 their rise in the central portion of the continent. 
 
 Budd Slogan had visited this section before. In- 
 deed, he had hunted in the Sweetwater range, the 
 Laramie Mountains, Rattlesnake Hills, the Big 
 Horn, and as far north as the wonderful Yellow- 
 stone Park. Probably no person could have given 
 him " points " on that wild section, unless it might 
 be some of the Indians who had spent all their lives 
 there. 
 
 At this stage of the journey little dependence 
 was placed upon their rifles. They might meet with 
 game, but the chances were that they would not see 
 any for several days. There was a variety of fish 
 in the larger streams, but Arlos had not deemed it 
 worth while to bring any tackle with him, and his 
 guide scarcely gave a thought to that kind of food 
 which he did not secure with his rifle. 
 
 Before leaving the Miners' Delight, therefore, 
 each provided himself with a substantial lunch, 
 which it was believed would serve them longer than 
 they were likely to require it. 
 
 About noon a small stream was crossed where the 
 water rose hardly to their horses' knees. Looking 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 35 
 
 down from his saddle into the cold, clear current, 
 Arlos saw several large fish darting here and there, 
 and half -regretted that he had not the means of 
 making them form part of their dinner. On the 
 further bank they removed the bits from their 
 ponies' mouths and allowed them to pluck the rich 
 grass, while their riders sat on the ground and ate 
 their lunch, after which Budd Slogan filled his pipe 
 and smoked. 
 
 The halt had lasted about an hour, when the 
 hunter knocked the ashes from his brierwood and 
 said : 
 
 " We may as well be movin' ; the ponies are in 
 good shape, and will have plenty of rest after we 
 git fairly into the mountains." 
 
 " And when will that be ?" 
 
 " In two or three days, if we don't have to lay by 
 on account of a storm, and the sky looks a little 
 like it," added Budd, shutting one eye and squint- 
 ing at the heavens, which had become slightly over- 
 cast during the last hour. 
 
 "And what is to be done in the event of a 
 storm ?" 
 
 The guide looked at his companion as if unable 
 to understand his question. 
 
 "What's to be done? Why, nothin', of course. 
 We'll hunt cover and wait till it is over." 
 
36 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " That's what I mean." 
 
 "And that's what we will do if we find the 
 shelter ; but if we don't, we'll have to grin and bear 
 it but hold on a minute." 
 
 He had become suddenly interested in something 
 almost due west of where they stood. Arlos saw 
 him fix his gray, penetrating eyes on a point appar- 
 ently halfway up the rocky slope. The youth 
 looked in the same direction but discovered noth- 
 ing. Then he reflected that he had his small pocket 
 telescope with him. 
 
 Drawing this forth, he leveled it at the mountain 
 side and groped here and there, until at last he de- 
 tected what it was that had caught the eye of the 
 guide. 
 
 From behind a mass of rocks, where there seemed 
 to be a growth of stunted cedar, he observed a faint, 
 bluish column of vapor creeping upward. It seemed 
 to be the smoke from a small campfire that prob- 
 ably had been kindled for a long time and then left 
 to die out of itself. 
 
 Since he could detect nothing more, he handed 
 the glass to Budd, who was familiar w r ith its use. 
 The guide studied the shadowy indications for some 
 minutes, standing rigid and in perfect silence. Then 
 he passed the instrument back to Arlos, who asked : 
 
 " What do you make of it?" 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 37 
 
 " Nothin' more than we see. Somebody stopped 
 there last night s but did not leave till late this 
 morning. If that was done in Arizona or New 
 Mexico I'd know it was a signal of some of the 
 Apaches, and that it said something 'bout us, and 
 we'd have to look out or our skulps wouldn't be OR 
 our heads six hours longer." 
 
 " Do you think the campfire belongs to Indians ?" 
 
 "As like as not, but we've nothing to fear from 
 'em ; it isn't a signal, and therefore doesn't signerfy 
 nothin', as I remarked previous." 
 
 "I wonder," exclaimed Arlos, struck with the 
 new idea, " whether it can be that my friend Dolph 
 Bushkirk and his friend stopped last night there." 
 
 Budd shook his head. 
 
 " Nothin' like that ; them folks have nigh onto a 
 week's start, and wouldn't be hangin' round this 
 part of the world. They are still ahead of us, and 
 that's where we've got to look for 'em, instead of 
 off yonder to one side of the road, so to speak." 
 
38 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 ON GUARD. 
 
 IT was early in the afternoon that Budd Slogan 
 and Arlos Hayman remounted their ponies and re- 
 sumed their journey toward the northwest, steadily 
 approaching the heart of the stupendous mountain 
 range, where they expected to spend an indefinite 
 time in hunting the royal game, which in those 
 days was more plentiful than at the present time. 
 
 Now and then the guide halted, and facing his 
 animal the other way, held the glass leveled at the 
 point which had attracted his interest when in 
 camp. Gradually the dim, shadowy column of 
 vapor melted from sight, until at last even the keen 
 eyes of the veteran were unable to distinguish it. 
 
 He seemed to suspect that the persons who had 
 kindled the fire might reveal themselves, but they 
 did not, and he finally dismissed them from his 
 thoughts. 
 
 While Arlos Hayman was anxious to meet his 
 friend Dolph Bushkirk, he knew the chances were 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 39 
 
 against his doing so, at least for a week or two 
 to come. As has been stated, it was possible that 
 they might not approach within a hundred miles of 
 each other until their return. Other men, both 
 white and red, were in the section, and were more 
 likely to be encountered. Budd had intimated that 
 the room of most of these was preferable to their 
 company, but he showed no fear of them. 
 
 Another matter gave Arlos more immediate con- 
 cern that was his own health. It may be said 
 that he was fully roused, and more determined than 
 ever to recover his usual rugged strength, but was 
 too sensible to expect this to occur in a single day 
 or in several days. 
 
 In point of fact, however, his recovery was more 
 rapid than he anticipated. His appetite became so 
 keen that he was astonished at the amount of food 
 he disposed of without fully satisfying his hunger. 
 
 Arlos dreaded catching cold, but when sure he 
 had done so, he found that the effects of his expo- 
 sure were thrown off and he was in reality stronger 
 than before. It became necessary to loosen his 
 waistband ; his garments in which, as he expressed 
 it, he had "rattled around," began to fit him 
 snugly ; a test of strength showed that he could lift 
 more, leap further and higher, run faster and longer, 
 and laugh at a degree of exertion which, only a 
 
40 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 brief time previous, would have laid him exhausted 
 on his back. Unquestionably the advice of Dr. 
 Kleinman was the wisest that could have been 
 given, and he thanked the honest physician hun- 
 dreds of times for sending him to the West. 
 
 When the spring day drew to a close the horse- 
 men had penetrated a goodly distance into the 
 region where they expected to hunt. They were 
 fairly among the foothills, and the air had grown 
 cool and bracing. Grass was still abundant, and a 
 small stream of clear, running water, and the pres- 
 ence of several huge bowlders made the spot an ideal 
 one for camping. 
 
 The saddles and bridles were removed and the 
 ponies turned loose. The guide did not consider it 
 necessary to tether or hobble them, for he knew 
 Eio Grande was too well trained to wander off, and 
 Jack was not likely to do so on his own account. 
 
 Having made the halt, the next thing was to pre- 
 pare camp, which term in the West is applied to 
 any spot where one person or more spends the night 
 in the open. Pine and cedar were growing near, 
 and a goodly supply was soon gathered and flung 
 in a pile at the base of one of the bowlders. 
 
 After throwing down his first bundle Budd Slo- 
 gan abruptly paused and looked at the ground. 
 Then he stooped and scrutinized it more closely. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 41 
 
 "What do you see?" asked Arlos, who was 
 watching him. 
 
 " Nothin' 'ticular, 'cept that some one else camped 
 here about a week ago." 
 
 "About a week ago !" repeated the youth, hurry- 
 ing to the side ; " then it must have been Dolph and 
 Varnum Brown." 
 
 " Why so ?" asked Budd, straightening up and 
 looking into the face of his excited companion. 
 
 " They are just a week ahead of us." 
 
 "Which likewise a good many others may be; 
 p'raps Yarn who's an old friend of mine and the 
 younker was the ones that spent the night here- 
 abouts, but it ain't noways sartin, and I don't see 
 that it makes any difference either way." 
 
 The dried twigs and branches were fixed in place 
 with a skill acquired during years of long cam- 
 paigning. Then Budd drew a match along his 
 thigh and shaded the flame while he applied it to 
 the fuel. 
 
 The expertness of many white and red men at 
 this delicate work is amazing. An Apache or 
 Comanche Indian will lean over from his galloping 
 steed, strike a match against a stone, and swing 
 back and light his pipe without abating the speed 
 of his horse ; a Chinaman or an old soldier will 
 start a fire from wet twigs or tiny sticks which 
 
42 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 would require several boxes of matches from you or 
 me, with the probability of a failure in the end. 
 
 But Budd Slogan found no trouble in starting a 
 strong, crackling blaze into life. He stooped over 
 only a moment or two, when the tiny flame caught 
 and the diminutive conflagration was under head- 
 way. Then he left it to itself and set about his 
 other duties. 
 
 Arlos was watching the blaze, when he caught 
 the glimmer of something white a few feet 
 away, as revealed in the glare thrown out by 
 the burning wood. Picking up the object he saw 
 that it was a portion of an envelope. The lower 
 side had been burned, but the stamp, postmark, and 
 business address, printed in the left-hand corner, 
 were easily read. 
 
 The postmark was " Denver, April 11," and the 
 business address was " J. G. Bushkirk & Co.," of the 
 same city. 
 
 The inference was clear. Adolphus Bushkirk and 
 his guide, Yarnum Brown, had spent the night on 
 the spot. The envelope may have served the pur- 
 pose of starting the fire, after which it was flung 
 aside. 
 
 Arlos announced his discovery, showing the 
 singed paper to his friend. 
 
 " This is the very place where they stayed !" 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 43 
 
 Budd was interested in preparing some coffee, and 
 showed no interest in that which had roused his 
 young friend. Without ceasing his work, or doing 
 more than glance at the envelope, he asked in turn : 
 
 "Wai, what of it?" 
 
 " Little that I kno\v of," replied Arlos, " except 
 that it is interesting. You were right in saying the 
 ashes and embers are a week old, but how were you 
 able to tell it, Budd ?" 
 
 " By looking at 'em." 
 
 " I presume so, but I can't help wishing we had 
 been a week earlier." 
 
 "Another thing would have sarved as well." 
 
 "What's that?" 
 
 " If them chumps ahead had been a week later ; 
 but, bein' as they aren't, why let's talk of somethin' 
 else." 
 
 Among the precious supplies brought by these 
 hunters were several pounds of ground coffee, sugar, 
 together with salt and pepper. Each was provided 
 with a tin cup, and what veteran of the civil war 
 would have asked more when on the march or in 
 camp ? Milk, eggs, and the other accessories some- 
 times used are of no account, for experience teaches 
 how to dispense with them. 
 
 In a few minutes the water in each cup which had 
 been set over the fire was boiling, the brown grains 
 
44 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 tumbling over each other, and giving off an aroma, 
 which to hungry nostrils is more fragrant than the 
 most ravishing perfume from the "rose valleys of 
 Yemen." Probably Arlos Hayman was right in 
 believing that never in all his life had he been so 
 ravenously hungry, or his yearning for the delicious 
 Java so irrestrainable. 
 
 "I have heard about the nectar of the gods," he 
 sighed, setting down his cup, " but it isn't to be 
 compared with this. Budd, how can you ever crave 
 whisky when you can get coffee ?" 
 
 " That's what I sometimes ask myself," replied 
 the hunter, squinting into his cup to see whether 
 any drinkable fluid remained ; " but I also likewise 
 asks myself the conundrum twisted 'round thusly : 
 How can I ever crave coffee when I kin get ' knock 
 'em stiff ' like that which Belix Jenkins sells at the 
 Miners' Delight? Young man, I understood you 
 #ever swallered any whisky ?" 
 
 v You understood me correctly." 
 
 ^ Wai, don't never do it : that's the advice of a 
 chap as has been fool 'nough to guzzle several ship- 
 loads of the p'ison, and he would have drunk more 
 'cepting for the good reason that he couldn't get it. 
 Bern' as how you've never begun, I don't s'pose 
 you're likely to do so, and therefore I won't tem- 
 perance lecture." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 45 
 
 " No, Budd ; it is not not necessary," said Arlos 
 kindly, as his friend, having finished his eating and 
 drinking, proceeded to fill and light his pipe ; " I 
 don't claim to be better or wiser than hundreds of 
 others of my age, but it ,has always struck me as 
 among the most idiotic things conceivable that a 
 person should cultivate a taste for beer and liquor, 
 when he knows it injures him and takes away from 
 the real enjoyment of life." 
 
 Seated thus on blankets spread upon the ground, 
 with their backs supported by bowlders behind 
 them, and the air just cool enough to make the 
 slight warmth of the camp fire agreeable, Budd 
 Slogan was in one of his most genial moods. He 
 had formed a deep liking for his youthful compan- 
 ion, and when the latter asked him to relate some 
 of his experiences, the grim veteran of so many 
 campaigns and scenes of peril willingly complied. 
 
 He told of scout and skirmish and battle during 
 the civil war, but that which interested Arlos most 
 was his experiences in the Southwest, in this very 
 region, and in equally perilous sections beyond. 
 More than one story of thrilling encounter with the 
 Apaches, the Comanches, the Kiowas, Nez Perces, 
 Shoshones, and other tribes, sometimes alone and 
 sometimes in the company of that ideal scout, Kit 
 Carson, or other mountaineers hardly less distia- 
 
46 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 guished, was related in the uncouth but graphic 
 language of this man, whose life, if fully recorded, 
 would surpass any work of fiction in vivid interest. 
 
 " Now," said Budd, when the evening was well 
 advanced, and he had smoked his third pipe, 
 " we've got to begin doing things in business 
 style." 
 
 " I am ready to help so far as I can." 
 
 " We're in a country where neither must sleep 
 onless t'other is awake. I'll be easy with you at 
 first. What time is it ?" 
 
 " It lacks a few minutes to ten," replied Arlos, 
 looking at his watch. 
 
 " Therefore, it ain't fur till midnight ; you can 
 keep guard till then, when I'll run things the rest 
 of the night out." 
 
 " That will hardly be fair to you, Budd, for it 
 will make your watch three times as long as mine." 
 
 " After you've been broke in you'll have all of 
 that you want ; as it is, you'll find your hands full, 
 for you can't walk back and forth, as a sentinel does 
 in the army." 
 
 " Why not ?" 
 
 " Wai, it might do in some cases, but if there are 
 any redskins prowling 'round, don't you see you'll 
 give 'em the best chance they kin ask to pick you 
 off 'i We'll let the fire go down, for we don't need 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 47 
 
 it, and you'll lay off there wrapped up in your 
 blanket, where no one can't see you until he creeps 
 up so near that you kin get the drop on him. Do 
 you hear me ?" 
 
 " I understand." 
 
 " All right ; here goes." 
 
 And with no more directions, and without so 
 much as bidding him good-night, the hunter wrap- 
 ped his blanket about his sturdy figure and lay 
 down with his feet toward the fire, which even then 
 had smoldered so low that nothing more than the 
 heavy boots would have been visible to the keenest- 
 eyed of Indians, who might be lurking in the vicin- 
 ity. Before Arlos was aware, the responsibility of 
 a sentinel was thrust upon him. 
 
 " This is new work," he reflected, " but it ought 
 to be easy. At any rate, there will be no trouble to 
 keep awake two hours more. I'll stretch my duties 
 to one o'clock, so as to give Budd a long rest. It is 
 right that we should divide the task more equally 
 between us." 
 
 Filled with this resolve, the youth flattered him- 
 self that he set about the business after the manner 
 and style of a veteran. The lire, as has been inti- 
 mated, had sunk low. By and by utter darkness 
 would enfold the little camp. 
 
 Arlos moved his position a little further from the 
 
48 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 embers, so as to make sure he could not be seen by 
 any enemy lurking near. The stories which his 
 companion had told earlier in the evening so filled 
 his mind that they produced their natural effect, and 
 caused him to magnify his responsibility. 
 
 " If I should fall asleep, some treacherous Indian 
 might steal up and slay us both but why suppose 
 that which is unsupposable ?" he asked impatiently. 
 
 And with his back against the bowlder, his 
 blanket folded about his shoulders and body, and 
 his Winchester resting across his knees, where it 
 could be seized and used at the first approach of 
 danger, the senses of the youth were never more 
 alert. He felt as if he could not sleep for twenty- 
 four hours, and nothing was easier than to maintain 
 his position until the rising of the morrow's sun. 
 
 Listening intently, he failed to hear the munch- 
 ing of the ponies' jaws. They had finished crop- 
 ping the grass, and, like Budd Slogan, were asleep, 
 or, at any rate, soon would be. Consequently the 
 care of them was also upon the shoulders of the 
 young man. 
 
 The solemn, almost inaudible, roar or murmur 
 which is an accompaniment of solitude, filled his 
 ears. The silence was profound. Arlos felt him- 
 self alone in a world of night and shadows. 
 
 The stillness was made the more impressive by 
 
LOSt IN THE ROCKIES. 4D 
 
 the faint report of a gun which broke upon his ear. 
 It seemed to have been fired miles away, and from 
 somewhere in the depth of the mountains. 
 
 " How strange it would be," he reflected, " if 
 that was the rifle of Dolph Bushkirk; or," he 
 added, with a shudder, " it may have been fired at 
 him 
 
 He ceased his gloomy speculation, for at that 
 moment one of the ponies whinnied. To the lonely 
 sentinel this was evidence that a new peril was at 
 hand. 
 
50 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEE Y. 
 
 A LTJCKY SHOT. 
 
 THE mind of Arlos Hayman was filled with a 
 score of disturbing fancies as to the nature of the 
 danger which threatened the camp. 
 
 He knew from his own experience, before being 
 told by Budd Slogan, that one of the keenest and 
 most unerring of sentinels is an intelligent horse. 
 His senses of smell and vision often enable him to 
 detect the approach of peril when it is unsuspected 
 by his master. 
 
 The faint whinny of one of the ponies showed 
 that he had been disturbed, and whatever the cause, 
 it must be of an alarming nature. 
 
 The youth held his rifle so as to be able to use it 
 on the instant, and leaning slightly forward tried 
 to peer into the impenetrable gloom ; but it was too 
 profound for him to distinguish anything. 
 
 He recalled that Budd had not given him any 
 directions as to what he should do in the event of 
 being disturbed. It must have been that he deemed 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 51 
 
 such a thing too improbable. Had he thought 
 otherwise he would have warned Arlos to awaken 
 him on the instant. 
 
 Not having done so, Arlos decided not to disturb 
 him, unless the peril should become more tangible. 
 
 The immediate question with him was whether 
 he should steal out to where the. animals had lain 
 down and ascertain for himself the nature of the 
 danger. This, it will be seen, was a risky thing to 
 do ; for if it should prove that an Indian, or per- 
 haps more than one, was prowling near the camp, 
 the young sentinel would expose himself to a shot 
 or stealthy attack. He did not know precisely 
 where to look for his enemy, who would be the 
 first to detect him. 
 
 The fire had smoldered so low that it ceased to 
 give out any illumination. Not the faintest glimpse 
 of Bucld's body could be perceived, so that Arlos, 
 who was still further from the ashes, was certain of 
 being out of sight of any one. 
 
 Suddenly an ember, lying across another, broke 
 apart and a twist of flame shot upward. 
 
 It was like thrusting a lighted lamp into a dark- 
 ened room. The abrupt glare lit up the surround- 
 ing gloom for a distance of several yards. Not only 
 was the inanimate form of the guide brought into 
 distinct relief, but the scared face of the youth 
 
$ LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 seated on the ground several paces away, reflected 
 the glow. 
 
 Instinctively Arlos turned his eyes in the direc- 
 tion of the spot where he supposed the animals to 
 be. To his amazement he saw that one of them 
 had risen to his feet and was looking off into the 
 gloom. 
 
 He was motionless, and Arlos discerned him very 
 indistinctly and only for an instant, when the little 
 flame expired and all became blank darkness again. 
 
 Prudence whispered that it was high time to 
 awaken Budd Slogan. The situation had become 
 so grave that he alone could deal with it, but the 
 youth was now acting in obedience to a curious 
 impulse. 
 
 He had been appointed sentinel, and nothing was 
 said about his appealing to his veteran companion, 
 no matter what the situation might become, until 
 the turn of night. 
 
 "And I won't ask his help," muttered Arlos, 
 compressing his lips ; " we are likely to have consid- 
 erable of this sort of business, and there's no better 
 time than now to break myself in." 
 
 Gently flinging off his blanket he began creeping 
 away from camp and toward the standing horse. 
 While doing so he grasped his rifle in one hand. 
 
 He moved slowly and with extreme care, glancing 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 53 
 
 continually to the right and left, in front and even 
 behind him. Every few seconds he stopped and 
 listened. He could not hear anything, and the star- 
 light enabled him to see but a slight distance. 
 
 The point where he had caught sight of the stand- 
 ing animal was so clearly remembered that he did 
 not deviate in his course to it. When he had gone 
 as it seemed, the full distance, he paused with a 
 thrill of misgiving. 
 
 The pony was not visible. 
 
 " Some one has stolen him !" 
 
 But the fear had hardly shaped itself in his mind 
 when, to his great relief, he perceived the outlines 
 of the animal, which had lain down again. Just 
 beyond was the second horse, though in the dark- 
 ness Arlos could not identify either of them. 
 
 " They are safe for the time, but there's no say- 
 ing how long they will be." 
 
 He crept still closer. The nearest pony raised 
 his head, pricked his ears, and again whinnied, but 
 with so slight effort that he could not have been 
 heard more than a few rods distant. 
 
 " There must be an Indian on the other side of 
 him," was the conclusion of Arlos ; who, it need 
 not be said, was thinking hard and fast. " I'll steal 
 round to that point and see whether I can get a 
 shot at him." 
 
54 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 It was a daring proceeding, but the youth carried 
 it out in spirit and letter. 
 
 With infinite labor and pains he moved through 
 the grass, keeping his head and shoulders so low 
 that at times he seemed to be gliding after the 
 manner of a serpent, instead of upon all fours. 
 
 When directly opposite the point where he had 
 first halted, he paused again, as alert, watchful, and 
 attentive as ever. He had gone so far beyond the 
 horses that he could barely make out the form 
 nearest to him, which, it will be borne in mind, 
 was not the one that was the means of bringing 
 him to this spot. 
 
 It was the turn of this animal now to throw up 
 its head, and, holding it motionless a moment, emit 
 that signal of alarm which has often saved a man's 
 life. 
 
 "What can it be that you have learned?" 
 
 With the question came a conviction to Arlos 
 Hayman, which, despite his trying situation, brought 
 a smile to his face. It must have been himself that 
 had caused the last evidence of disturbance on the 
 part of the ponies. His stealthy movements had 
 attracted their notice, but evidently they speedily 
 identified him and ceased to be frightened. 
 
 Following this conviction was another: Whatever 
 the nature of the danger, it was gone. The 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 55 
 
 prowler must have discovered that the sentinel was 
 alert, and that it was not safe to attempt to run off 
 the horses. Accordingly he had withdrawn to 
 await a more favorable opportunity. 
 
 This terrifying thought came to the youthful 
 guard : Suppose that in his brief absence the 
 treacherous foe had stolen up to the camp fire and 
 slain Budd Slogan ? 
 
 The awful fear caused Arlos to run across the 
 intervening space, not pausing until he bent over 
 the dark bundle at the foot of the bowlder and 
 heard the deep breathing of his friend. Then he 
 heaved a sigh of relief and thankfulness. 
 
 " It was a close call," he muttered, resuming his 
 old place, with his back against the bowlder, and 
 his blanket gathered about him. " What a fatal 
 mistake any one would make to sleep without a 
 guard ! I've a strong notion to keep up the watch 
 through the night." 
 
 Fifteen minutes later Arlos Hayman was as sound 
 asleep as Budd Slogan ! 
 
 Who can fight off the insidious approach of slum- 
 ber? Though a thousand lives may be at stake, 
 though the wearied sailor is clinging to the swaying 
 mast, though the engineer stands with his hand upon 
 the throttle, though the general is directing the 
 battle upon which hangs the fate of nations, though 
 
56 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 the parent is watching the last minutes on earth of 
 the loved one yet unconsciousness steals upon him 
 despite every resolution and effort to fight off the 
 weakness. 
 
 Not only that, but the strongest mind cannot 
 recall the moment when his senses fled from him. 
 
 Arlos was seated as I have described, alert and 
 watchful, and certain that he could maintain his 
 vigil through the remaining hours of the night, 
 when his head bowed forward, and to all intents 
 and purposes, life was gone from him. 
 
 Budd Slogan was one of those who have the 
 power of awakening at any moment previously 
 fixed in his mind. It was not five minutes past 
 twelve when he opened his eyes, flung aside his 
 blanket and sat up, as fully himself as when holding 
 the glass of his young friend leveled at the distant 
 camp fire. 
 
 A moment's listening brought a suspicion of the 
 truth. He pronounced the name of Arlos several 
 times, gradually increasing the loudness of the tone, 
 but without bringing any answer. 
 
 "Just what I expected," he muttered, moving 
 cautiously about until he could get the "lay of the 
 land." 
 
 This did not require long. .He found where 
 Arlos sat asleep and discovered that the animals had 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 57 
 
 not been harmed or stolen. Nothing had gone 
 amiss despite the sluggard sentinel. 
 
 Budd made a guarded visit to where the ponies 
 were lying, and finding no cause for alarm returned 
 to his former position. There he seated himself on 
 the ground, in the posture of the sleeping Arlos, 
 and with the grim patience he had learned in his 
 years of experience, assumed the duties of sentinel. 
 
 At such times the minutes pass slowly and the 
 hours are intolerably long, but the man hardly 
 stirred a muscle while the night was wearing 
 away. Not once did he feel the slightest drowsi- 
 ness. 
 
 When at last the growing light in the east told of 
 the coming day, he was as alert as ever. Looking 
 across at his young friend, he saw that he was still 
 unconscious. 
 
 " I will leave him to wake fur himself," reflected 
 the guide. 
 
 Kemembering that no food was at command, 
 Budd decided to obtain it. The ponies had risen to 
 their feet, and, after drinking from the small stream, 
 renewed their cropping of the grass. 
 
 Budd thought it time enough to rebuild the fire 
 when there was something to broil. So, rifle in 
 hand, he set out in quest of game. 
 
 He had been gone perhaps half an hour when 
 
58 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Arlos Hayman opened his eyes and stared about 
 him, unable for a minute or two to recall his wan- 
 dering senses. 
 
 "By gracious!" he exclaimed, when it had all 
 come back to him, " I must have fallen asleep ! I 
 forgot to wake Budd, and we have both slept 
 through nearly the whole night. Well, nothing has 
 happened to the horses." 
 
 Satisfied on this point, it was easy to explain the 
 absence of his companion. Arlos concluded that 
 he had awakened a few minutes before him and 
 gone in quest of breakfast. 
 
 "I hope he won't forget to shoot enough for 
 both. It seems to me that I am hungry all the 
 time. I think I'll take a look around, myself." 
 
 And, without stopping to pick up his hat, where 
 it had fallen while he was unconscious, the youth 
 started on what may be termed his first hunt since 
 leaving home. 
 
 It is the unexpected which generally happens. 
 He supposed that in the natural order of events he 
 would meet with no game, while Budd was certain 
 to secure more than was needed, but the reverse 
 was the fact. 
 
 " I wonder, if I run across anything, what it will 
 be," he mused, as he picked his way forward, the 
 gentle wind blowing the hair from his forehead. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 59 
 
 " I believe they find grizzly bears, antelopes, wolves, 
 deer " 
 
 A smothered bellow caused him to turn his head 
 like a flash. To his amazement he observed an im- 
 mense buffalo bull, which was browsing in a small 
 open space upon which Arlos had intruded without 
 seeing the animal. The latter was quick to detect 
 him. 
 
 It struck the young hunter as an odd fact that 
 this enormous animal was alone instead of with a 
 herd, but he supposed his companions were feeding 
 near Toy and that they would speedily meet. 
 
 Those noble creatures, as my readers know, have 
 been exterminated within the last few years by the 
 wanton destruction of professional and amateur 
 sportsmen. Where not long ago there were tens 
 and hundreds of thousands, to-day there are none. 
 
 Although their number had been greatly thinned 
 out at the time of Arlos Hayman's visit to the 
 Rocky Mountains, enough were still met to afford 
 excellent sport, though they frequented the open 
 country far more than the mountainous regions. 
 
 The first thought of the youth, after recovering 
 from his shock of surprise, was& natural one. 
 
 " You look to me, old fellow, as if you would 
 make a good meal for us, provided Budd doesn't 
 want more than his share," 
 
60 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The bull was a combative fellow and disposed to 
 resent this intrusion upon his domain. He stood 
 with raised head and glaring eyes, the grass drip- 
 ping from his jaws, as if expecting to see the young 
 man break and fly before him, while there was yet 
 time to escape his resistless charge. 
 
 Arlos stood a moment admiringly viewing the 
 magnificent creature. He was the finest specimen 
 by far upon which he had ever looked. He judged 
 that he must be king of an immense herd, which 
 could not be far away. 
 
 " I might be tempted to spare you, but for the 
 fact that I'm so hungry I am sure to perish if I 
 have to wait another half-hour for breakfast 
 great king !" 
 
 Well might Arlos utter the exclamation, for the 
 bull, as if impatient over the tardiness of the daring 
 intruder's flight, suddenly lowered his head, emitted 
 a savage bellow, and charged the young man with 
 might and main.- 
 
 Naturally Arlos supposed that no more fatal 
 spot could be found for lodging his bullet, since 
 the animal's position made the heart inaccessible, 
 than the head. Bringing his Winchester to his 
 shoulder, therefore, he took a quick aim and let 
 
 fly. 
 
 To his astonishment, the animal showed not the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. CJ 
 
 slightest effects. His furious, headlong flight con- 
 tinued without check. 
 
 It is a fact that the bony structure in the head of 
 the bison (improperly called the buffalo), often 
 proves an effective armor against the most pene- 
 trating of firearms. So it was in this instance, see- 
 ing which, Arlos, with commendable coolness, 
 quickly shoved another cartridge in place and fired 
 again. 
 
 This time he aimed at the foreleg, knowing that 
 a bullet there would cripple his enemy, even if it 
 did not slay him. 
 
 Such was the fact. With a bellow of pain, the 
 hugh creatura stumbled and plowed forward on his 
 head and knees, striving fiercely to gain his feet. 
 
 At this moment he was so close to Arlos that the 
 latter ran several rods, afraid of becoming en- 
 tangled in his throes. "Wheeling quickly, however, 
 he hastily prepared another cartridge and anxiously 
 looked for a chance to use it. 
 
 He was astonished to see that the brute had 
 regained his feet and was striving to reach him. 
 The animal is of a low degree of intelligence, but 
 this one was not long in comprehending that some- 
 thing was amiss. He stopped his struggles and 
 stood motionless on three legs. 
 
 Arlos slipped to one side, and the next moment 
 
62 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 sent a bullet into the body directly back of the 
 foreleg. 
 
 That settled matters, for the missile was so truly 
 aimed that it bored its way through the seat of 
 life, and the king buffalo, with a half-smothered 
 bellow, sagged forward, turned heavily on his side, 
 and ceased to move. 
 
 " Purty well done, younker ! You've been luckier 
 than me!" 
 
 It was Budd Slogan who called to Arlos. He 
 was a short distance off when he heard the youth's 
 Winchester, and not knowing what it might signify, 
 ran to the spot. 
 
 " It seems to me," remarked the youth, contem- 
 plating the mountainous animal with no little 
 satisfaction, " that he is unusually large, Budd." 
 
 "I've killed hundreds of them critters on the 
 Llano Estacado, and dozens of different prairies, but 
 I don't think I ever fetched down a bigger bull 
 than him." 
 
 " I'm proud to know that, but I'm worried over 
 one thing." 
 
 "What's that?" 
 
 " I'm afraid there's not enough meat on him for 
 our breakfast.' 
 
 " Mebbe not," gravely replied Budd ; " but it 
 will sorter stay our appetites tilt we can find the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 63 
 
 herd he's strayed from and kill a dozen more. 
 We'll try it, anyway, and here's hopin' it won't 
 keep you awake to-night when you're on watch." 
 
 The guide grinned and winked when the blush- 
 ing Arlos looked reproachfully at him. 
 
 " I'm ashamed of myself, Budd, for I didn't think 
 it possible. But then it gave you a chance to gain 
 a full night's sleep, and we'll fix it better next 
 time." 
 
 " Gave me a full night's sleep ?" repeated the elder. 
 " I woke at midnight, just as I said I would, and 
 found you like a dead younker. You was sleeping 
 so hard I thought it a pity to wake you, so I sot up 
 till morning." 
 
 " Too bad ! I can only apologize and repeat my 
 promise, but if you were half as hungry as I, you 
 wouldn't keep breakfast waiting." 
 
64 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FURTHER INTO THE WILDS. 
 
 THE keen-edged hunting-knife of the guide served 
 him well. He first ran the point along the bison's 
 spine, and then peeled the skin down each shoulder, 
 from one of which he cut a steak, large enough, it 
 would seem, to supply half a dozen persons with an 
 all-sufficient meal. 
 
 The steak was carefully washed in the running 
 brook, while Arlos busied himself in renewing the 
 fire. 
 
 It would be hardly prudent for me to tell how 
 much Budd Slogan and Arlos Hayman ate. 
 
 The youth advocated broiling still more of the 
 steak and taking it with them, since, as he insisted, 
 in a few hours they would be as hungry as before. 
 
 "It ain't worth the bother," replied Budd, reject- 
 ing the proposal. "As we push further into the 
 mountains we'll find all the game we want." 
 
 "If you're sure of that," said Arlos, with pre- 
 tended solicitude, " I'll take the risk, great as it is." 
 
 Accordingly it was so done. The horses were 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 65 
 
 saddled and bridled, and the two renewed their 
 journey, following a sort of pass between the moun- 
 tain ranges, where the progress was alternately 
 difficult and easy. 
 
 The ground continued steadily rising, so that be- 
 fore noon a decided change of temperature was per- 
 ceptible. Yast peaks towered on the right and left, 
 the tops covered with snow, from which a chilling 
 breath now and then reached the horses and their 
 riders. The pass resembled scores of others in the 
 Sierras and Rocky Mountain ranges that are the 
 avenues through which emigrants formerly jour- 
 neyed, and without the existence of which the early 
 overland emigration to the Pacific coast would have 
 been impossible. 
 
 This pass might be termed a canyon, and seemed 
 to have been made at some remote age by a stu- 
 pendous upheaval of nature which split the rock- 
 ribbed ranges asunder. 
 
 This canyon was of varying width. In some places 
 it was no more than a hundred feet across, while at 
 others it expanded to three or four times that 
 extent. 
 
 The bottom showed that at certain seasons, as 
 during a cloudburst, an unusual melting of snow, 
 or a great fall of rain, it was swept by a tumultu- 
 ous torrent that carried everything before it. 
 
66 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Budd gave it as his opinion that many of the 
 huge bowlders and rocks, around which they were 
 forced to pick their way, had been carried along for 
 unknown miles by one of those inconceivably fierce 
 currents of water. 
 
 A curious feeling was present with Arlos. It 
 seemed to him when they made a turn in the canyon 
 they had but to go a little further when they must 
 confront a solid wall. 
 
 But Budd smiled at his fears. He had traversed 
 the same pass several times, and knew that by mak- 
 ing some changes of direction further on they could 
 eventually reach the less broken country through 
 which flow the White, the Green, and other rivers, 
 with the Uintah, Snow, and Wahsatch ranges 
 beyond. 
 
 There was no inten 4 ion, however, of penetrating 
 that far, since they \vould find all the hunting they 
 could wish within the Rocky Mountains proper, 
 where, too, Arlos was hopeful of meeting his old 
 schoolmate and friend, Dolph Bushkirk. 
 
 Arlos told the story of his experience when act- 
 ing as sentinel. He was surprised at the slight 
 interest shown by the guide. 
 
 " I thought it was an Indian prowling round the 
 camp for a chance to shoot one of us or run off with 
 the horses," added the youth. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 67 
 
 " Nothin' of that sort," replied his companion ; 
 "like enough it was a wolf or some smaller critter 
 hunting for something to eat." 
 
 Budd scrutinized the sky with the keenness of 
 one who had long since learned how to read the 
 secrets of the weather as revealed by faint indica- 
 tions which most people would not notice. 
 
 The sun was shining brightly, with every promise 
 of several days of ideal temperature. Yet he said : 
 
 "We'll catch it inside of twenty-four hours. It 
 may be snow, hail, or rain and wind, but we're 
 bound to have some kind of flurry." 
 
 To the surprise of Arlos Hayman, the progress 
 continued easy and comparatively rapid until late 
 in the afternoon. The canyon seemed to lose its dis- 
 tinctive character, for it broadened to such an 
 extent that it resembled a valley or elevated table- 
 land between the towering mountain walls. Water 
 was abundant, grass plentiful, and traveling so 
 smooth that, had they chosen, they could have rid- 
 den most of the distance on a swinging gallop. 
 But there was no call to hurry, and their ponies 
 were allowed to walk. 
 
 The air was crisp, but not uncomfortably so, and 
 the tough little animals seemed to find the progress 
 as pleasant as their riders. 
 
 The two had eaten so heartily in the morning 
 
68 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 that they decided to make only one more meal 
 which naturally was set for the close of the after- 
 noon, though it need not be said that the younger 
 hunter, at least, felt like gratifying his appetite 
 long before the hour fixed by the other. 
 
 " I must gain Budd's respect," he reflected, " by 
 proving that I am able to undergo hardship, suffer- 
 ing, and hunger like a seasoned veteran. If I am 
 weak and whimsical, I will go down to zero in his 
 estimation. So I will endure like a martyr the 
 pangs of starvation caused by ten hours' fast. He 
 shall not hear a murmur from me if he decides to 
 wait a half-hour longer before dining." 
 
 The ground was so undulating that when the 
 afternoon was well along Budd said they were 
 hardly fifty feet higher than when they left camp 
 in the morning. Furthermore, they could pass 
 entirely through this portion of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains with but little increase of altitude. 
 
 " It is cold enough here," he said ; " in the winter 
 when the snow lays forty feet deep in some of the 
 gullies, to freeze the stirrups apart under your feet, 
 but the season is too fur along for us to be bothered 
 by anything like that now." 
 
 The lofty mountain peaks hid the sun from sight, 
 though its rays were gilding the summits when the 
 two drew rein with the purpose of camping for the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 69 
 
 night. The spot selected by Budd Slogan was the 
 most inviting that had yet met the eyes of the 
 youth, who was impressed from the first with the 
 magnificent scenery on every hand. He was sure 
 that no finer site could have been found had they 
 searched for weeks. 
 
 They were still in the valley-like depression 
 between the ranges, with an abundance of succulent 
 grass and clear running water. A stream not deep, 
 but several rods in width, as clear as crystal and as 
 cold as if it had just come from a dissolving iceberg, 
 flowed through the middle of the valley, and the 
 banks, as far as the vision extended, were green with 
 the blades that had so recently sprung into life. 
 
 There was food in plenty for the cattle "on a 
 thousand hills." 
 
 The sloping sides of the valley were broken here 
 and there by immense brown masses of rock, and 
 oddly tumbled bowlders, some of which were so 
 heaped together as to show rough structures as 
 large as a city building. 
 
 "When Arlos noticed dried sticks, limbs, branches, 
 and even large trees scattered here and there at a 
 considerable distance from the stream, Budd ex- 
 plained that they had been brought down from the 
 mountains during the spring freshets, or by an un- 
 usual flow of water. 
 
70 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " I remember seeing that stump of a tree twelve 
 years ago," he said, pointing to a decaying trunk 
 near at hand ; " and since it was old at that time, 
 it must be purty well seasoned now. In them rocks 
 there to the right, two of us stood off a dozen 
 Injins for a couple of days and nights, and that's 
 where we're going to make our headquarters for 
 some weeks to come." 
 
 In answer to Arlos' look of surprise, the guide 
 said that they had now reached a point where their 
 ponies were of no further use. They would be 
 turned loose to graze until needed again, while their 
 riders amused themselves in hunting through the 
 surrounding region. 
 
 " Are they not liable to be stolen ?" asked 
 Arlos. 
 
 Budd shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " We must take our chances ; we're no more 
 likely to lose 'em here than if we tried to keep 'em 
 by us, further in the mountains. When me and 
 the boys was spending our time along the beaver 
 runs that's what we had to do, and we gin'rally 
 found our ponies when we wanted 'em. If we 
 didn't, we hoofed it or borrowed others." 
 
 In accordance with the plan of the guide, the 
 saddles, bridles, and everything were taken from 
 the animals and carried into a sort of rude cave 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 71 
 
 among the bowlders, which Arlos did not notice 
 until it was pointed out by his companion. 
 
 This natural opening was about a dozen feet in 
 extent, covered and walled in on three sides, but 
 with the fourth half open or exposed. The shelter, 
 therefore, which it offered was only partial, though 
 much preferable in severe weather to the open air. 
 
 " We'll stay there to-night," said Budd, " and I 
 hope we'll find our things and our ponies when 
 we're ready to set out fur the Miners' Delight." 
 
 It took but a few minutes to stow away their 
 goods. More than an hour of daylight remained. 
 
 " How is that gentle appetite of yourn ?" suddenly 
 asked the guide, when they stood on the outside of 
 their rocky home. 
 
 " I think I can stand it a few minutes longer," 
 replied Arlos, with a grave countenance. 
 
 " Stand what ?" 
 
 " The hunger that is gnawing at my vitals." 
 
 " Wai, now, if you'll gather a lot of the wood you 
 see scattered round here to start a good roaring 
 fire, I'll make a hunt for supper." 
 
 " Be assured that I won't neglect my part. Will 
 it be buffalo, bear, antelope, mountain sheep, or 
 what?" 
 
 " Can't tell ; depends on what I run across." 
 
 " That's right, Budd, that's right ; don't be par- 
 
72 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 ticular. Shoot the first game you set your eyes on, 
 if it's a wolf. Don't wait to choose ; the crisis is 
 too serious." 
 
 Budd Slogan laughed as he swung off with his 
 Winchester ready for service. 
 
 " He's a comical fellow, but I like him ; I wonder 
 if he always carries round an appetite like that. 
 It leaves my thirst a thousand miles out of sight." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 73 
 
 CHAPTER YIL 
 
 A MONAECH OF THE WILDERNESS. 
 
 LEFT alone once more Arlos Hay man set about 
 gathering wood for the fire needed to cook their 
 supper. 
 
 " I wonder what Dr. Kleinman and father and 
 mother and Miriam would think," he mused, " if 
 they could see me now. They would say I was 
 entirely well, and might go home to them, but I 
 don't expect to do so for a good while yet. I'm 
 enjoying myself too much. Besides, I need more 
 time to build up my strength so it will stay built 
 up." 
 
 On the same side of the stream, but some distance 
 up the sloping bank of the valley, was a grove of 
 pines, the trunks standing near together, like tall 
 columns, supporting their roofs of branches, which 
 cast a shadow so deep that the sun's rays never 
 pierced it. Nothing seemed more likely than that in 
 this grove would be found not only many dried cones 
 that had fallen from the trees, but a plentiful supply 
 
74 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 of twigs and branches so seasoned by years of 
 death that a tiny match would be sufficient to 
 ignite them. 
 
 Arlos started for the spot, intending to collect his 
 last armful of fuel, with which to kindle the fire for 
 the evening meal. 
 
 Not a thought of danger entered his head while 
 he walked toward the grove, nor after he had 
 stepped between the trees. He was thinking only 
 of the preparations for supper, and wondering how 
 long it would be before Budd Slogan returned. 
 
 He had not heard the report of his gun, and was 
 disappointed that so much time must elapse before 
 satisfying his gnawing hunger. 
 
 " After he shoots his game he will bring it, or a 
 portion of it, back to the fire, which will have to 
 burn awhile before there will be coals enough to 
 broil it. I wonder whether he has any idea of my 
 suffering " 
 
 It is a truth that we are sometimes warned of 
 danger before we see or hear anything of it. Not 
 the faintest sound struck the ear of the youth, nor 
 did he notice anything. All the same, however, he 
 paused abruptly in his communing, and, with a 
 startled shudder, looked around, absolutely certain 
 that some personal peril was upon him. 
 
 The sight which met his gaze was sufficient to 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 75 
 
 tingle the nerves of the most intrepid hunter, hold- 
 ing the trustiest of weapons in hand. 
 
 Hardly fifty feet distant was a grizzly bear his 
 size so mountainous that at first Arlos thought he 
 was some species of monster with double the bulk 
 of that forest monarch. 
 
 As in the case of the bison, he had descried the 
 intruder first. Without emitting a growl or sound, 
 he reared partly on his hind legs and looked at 
 him that and nothing more. 
 
 There was that in the vast size of the brute, his 
 peculiar posture, and his perfect silence that made 
 the situation more fearfully impressive than if he 
 had emitted a warning growl and lumbered for- 
 ward on all fours. It was unnatural, terrible, awe- 
 inspiring. 
 
 Arlos was petrified. He could only stand and 
 stare at the formidable beast, too appalled to 
 retreat. The bear remained half-upright for a 
 moment or two, and then dropped to his natural 
 posture. His head was still in sight, with the hor- 
 rible jaws parted, displaying his red, cavernous 
 mouth and his tongue and gleaming teeth. 
 
 What animal seized in the embrace of such a 
 brute, or receiving a blow from one of his beam- 
 like paws, could stand for an instant before him ? 
 
 These and similar thoughts rushed through the 
 
76 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 brain of Arlos Hay man as he stood for a few awful 
 seconds in front of the monster, who, had he chosen 
 to advance, could have crushed the youth to pulp 
 as if he were an eggshell. 
 
 And he was without a weapon with which to 
 defend himself ! True, his revolver was in his hip 
 pocket, underneath his coat, but had he emptied 
 every chamber into the front of the grizzly it is 
 probable that the brute would hardly have been 
 aware of it. The bullets would have been about as 
 effective as so many paper wads. 
 
 There was but one wild, irrestrainable desire in 
 the mind of Arlos Hayman : that was to get away 
 as quickly as he could, to reach his Winchester, or 
 some place of refuge among the rocks. 
 
 Pausing just long enough to pull himself together, 
 Arlos turned and ran as never before. When in his 
 usual health he was a superb sprinter, and he now 
 gave an exhibition that would have won him the 
 championship could it have been placed on record. 
 
 He did not glance over his shoulder at his terrible 
 pursuer. He was sure he heard him crashing 
 among the trees and across the open space with a 
 speed surpassing that of a race horse. He caught his 
 deep breathing and felt his hot, musky breath upon 
 his neck and shoulders. It seemed as if each second 
 must be his last. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 77 
 
 The terrified fugitive saw where his Winchester 
 was leaning against the bowlders close to the pile 
 of wood. The distance was short, and he was run- 
 ning hard, but it seemed he would never reach it. 
 
 Straining every nerve, however, he plunged head- 
 long, almost falling on his knees as he snatched the 
 weapon and whirled about to begin shooting at the 
 savage brute. 
 
 The grizzly was nowhere in sight. 
 
 The panting youth could not believe the evidence 
 of his own eyes. What had become of the mon- 
 ster ? Whither had he vanished ? Was it all his 
 distorted fancy that had conjured up an ogre among 
 the pines ? 
 
 Impossible. He had seen the most gigantic of 
 grizzly bears, and had been within fifty feet of 
 him. 
 
 He was mistaken in supposing the animal pursued 
 him in his flight from the spot ; but that he was 
 still among the pines, hardly a hundred yards dis- 
 tant, Arlos Hay man had no more doubt than he 
 had of his own existence. 
 
 Convinced that he was safe for the moment, the 
 young hunter's next wonder was why the bear had 
 not followed him. Had he chosen to do so, as- 
 suredly nothing could have saved the fugitive. 
 Should he still emerge from the grove, it was 
 
78 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 doubtful whether the Winchester with its numerous 
 charges would check him. 
 
 And believing that he would still appear, Arlos 
 began a hasty search for a spot that would give him 
 refuge from the beast. The cavern could not serve, 
 for it was so open at the front that the bear 
 could force his body, large as it was, into any 
 portion of it. 
 
 At one side a cavity showed beneath the largest 
 rock. Stooping down and peering into the dark 
 slit, Arlos fancied that he might crawl far enough 
 beneath to be beyond reach of the brute's paws. 
 
 " If he comes for me I'll try it," he muttered, 
 glancing affrightedly around. 
 
 | Now that he had reason to believe a safe retreat 
 was at hand (for his first fear that the animal might 
 overturn the rock disappeared after sober reflection), 
 Arlos regained his natural courage. 
 
 " I would be proud to say I had shot a grizzly," 
 he thought, looking wistfully at the grove. " I 
 could cut off his claws and take them home, and 
 they would prove the truth of what I boasted about; 
 but I have heard too much of these animals to run 
 the risk." 
 
 He took several steps toward the pines, but was 
 prudent enough to check himself, before going 
 further. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 79 
 
 " I may have another chance before I go home, 
 and 1 would like to have Budd within call, for I 
 would be pretty certain to need him." 
 
 From where he stood Arlos scrutinized the pines 
 for some evidence of the grizzly, but was unable to 
 detect any. They were as silent and motionless as 
 if they had never contained a living thing. 
 
 He was still speculating over the strange situation, 
 when to his joy he caught sight of Budd Slogan, 
 coming along the bank of the stream, his course 
 being such that it must take him close to the grove 
 of pines. He shouted and held up something large 
 in his hand to prove that he had been successful, 
 even though the youth had not caught the faintest 
 report of his "Winchester. 
 
 " And that reminds me," Arlos exclaimed, setting 
 down his gun again, drawing out his matchsafe, 
 and stooping in front of the dried cones and twigs 
 which were waiting to be kindled. 
 
 They were arranged so well and the fuel was so 
 inflammable that before Budd reached the spot the 
 flames were roaring and cracking right merrily. 
 
 " It's mountain sheep this time," explained the 
 guide as he came up ; "the best kind of a meal, too, 
 which you don't often get in the Rockies." 
 
 " I have heard of the animal and hoped to see 
 
80 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 "More'n likely you won't have a glimpse of a 
 mountain sheep all the time you're in these parts ; 
 but if you do, you won't get a shot at 'em.'" 
 
 " You succeeded," said Arlos, with a smile. 
 
 " I bTeve I'm older than you, but in my case the 
 whole thing was accerdental. The sheep was 
 browsing on the top of one of the ranges off yonder 
 to the west when I first sighted him. 'He was too 
 fur away to make sure with my rifle, and I didn't 
 expect to give him much of a scare even ; but while 
 I was looking and admiring him, and thinking what 
 a fine supper he would make for you and me, for he 
 must have weighed nigh on to two hundred pounds, 
 something scared him. It might have been a moun- 
 tain lion that was trying the sneak act on him. I 
 seen him raise his head, look behind him, take two 
 or three steps, stop, start forward agin, and then he 
 made a jump straight over into a gorge that was 
 five hundred feet high if it was five inches." 
 
 "I have heard of animals committing suicide 
 when they saw no way of escape from their pur- 
 suers," interjected Arlos. 
 
 " There warn't no suicide in this critter's medi- 
 cine. He knew what he was doing, and if it hadn't 
 been for me he would have been safe." 
 
 " But, Budd, think of a jump of five hundred feet, 
 or even one hundred feet !" 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 81 
 
 " Ain't nothin' for a mountain sheep ; but onder- 
 stand me: I don't mean to say he plumped 
 straight down to the bottom of the gorge, for it 
 stands to common sense that no animal that ever 
 lived could do that without being smashed to 
 smithereens. You see the gorge wasn't very wide. 
 The sheep made his jump, and landed on a ledge on 
 t'other side that warn't bigger'n my hand, but it 
 gave him a second to gather himself, when he made 
 a jump to t'other side, striking at a p'int twenty 
 feet or so lower down, where he catched on another 
 bit of stone, and he come back agin. It was for all 
 the world like a rubber ball, bouncing and wabbling 
 from side to side, till it reached the bottom of the 
 gorge without a jar. 
 
 " When the sheep landed the last time it was 
 within a dozen yards of where I was scrooging 
 ag'inst the side of the gorge. He catched sight of 
 me and whirled to run, but of course I saved him 
 from that trouble. I fetched enough along to make 
 us a supper and breakfast. I washed it in the 
 stream afore I seen you, so all we are waiting fur is 
 the coals." 
 
 " And they will soon be ready." 
 
 "While the meal was preparing Arlos told of the 
 great fright he had received through his meeting 
 with the grizzly bear. 
 
82 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " Yes," replied Budd, in his matter-of-fact tone, 
 " we sometimes run agin these critters in this part 
 of the world, though there's not so many as there 
 used to be. Keep an eye on the wood, while I'm 
 busy, and if he shows hisself, why, we'll have a little 
 argyment with him." 
 
 " I suspect it will be a pretty big argument," 
 commented the youth, who, however, did not let the 
 prospect interfere with his evening meal. 
 
 By the time this was finished it was growing 
 dark. The bear had not appeared, and rifle in hand 
 Budd Slogan set out to hunt for him. 
 
 Arlos asked the privilege of taking part, but the 
 guide promised that if the brute was still among 
 the trees, which he doubted, he would call to him 
 to help in the sport. 
 
 It turned out as Budd suspected the bear had 
 made a change of quarters. 
 
 " I guess you scared him away," remarked the 
 veteran, as he came back. 
 
 " If he was scared one-tenth as much as I, he isn't 
 done running yet." 
 
 " Like enough you're the first two-footed animal 
 he has ever seen. Howsumever, he may pay us 
 another visit to-night ; we'll look out for him." 
 
 " Are not our ponies in danger ?" 
 
 " No ; they are nimbler than old Ephraim, and 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 83 
 
 won't let him get nigh enough to hurt 'em. But no 
 mistake, one of them critters is an ugly fellow to 
 drive into a corner. The smell of our cooking 
 meat may bring him round the camp, and you and 
 me wouldn't more'n make him a square meal." 
 
 The night was colder then they had before 
 experienced. 
 
 The arrangement for guard duty was similar to 
 that at the preceding camp : Arlos was to act the 
 part of sentinel until midnight, when Budd would 
 take his place. Earlier than before the guide with- 
 drew to the cavern, where he stretched out his 
 blanket and sank into deep, refreshing slumber. 
 He advised Arlos to keep the fire going, since there 
 was an abundance of wood, and the grizzly, like all 
 wild animals, is afraid of fire, which might be found 
 more effective in battling with him than their 
 Winchester rifles. 
 
 The youth was resolved not to repeat the mistake 
 of the previous night. This time he had a tangible, 
 unmistakable peril impending, and was without the 
 ponies to warn him of its approach. They had 
 wandered so far up the valley that they were 
 beyond sight when the afternoon drew to a close. 
 
 It seemed to Arlos that he would have no diffi- 
 culty in keeping alert. Having thrown fresh fuel 
 on the fire he seated himself as before, but it was 
 
84 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 with the resolve that upon the first approach of 
 drowsiness he would rise to his feet and by violent 
 exercises drive it off again. He had only to follow 
 this course to perform his duty faithfully. 
 
 Besides, the certainty that the huge enemy was 
 more than likely to appear produced a marked 
 effect in helping him to fight off his tendency to 
 sleep. 
 
 He recalled that Budd had again failed to give 
 him instructions about calling him in the event of 
 disturbance, and he determined not to do so unless 
 it should become imperatively necessary. 
 
 " He has placed much responsibility upon me, and 
 I'm resolved to meet it like a man." 
 
 And the very test Arlos Hayman feared was not 
 long in coming to him. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 85 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 A GREAT EXPLOIT, 
 
 " ELEVEN o'clock," repeated Arlos Hayman, as he 
 replaced his watch in his pocket ; " one hour more 
 and Budd goes on duty. I begin to feel a little 
 drowsy." 
 
 He placed his rifle against the bowlder beside 
 him and threw more wood on the fire. He stretched 
 his arms over his head, and standing within the cir- 
 cle of light thrown out by the blaze, looked around 
 in the gloom and listened with his senses on the 
 alert. 
 
 The situation recalled that of the previous night. 
 The same solemn stillness held reign, and the world 
 of darkness inclosed him on every hand. 
 
 Now and then he heard the faint rustle of the 
 stream as the current slightly changed its course, 
 but no other noise pierced the night. 
 
 The sky was studded with stars, there being no 
 moon until long past midnight, and even then it 
 would be only partly full. The air continued chilly, 
 
86 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 so that the warmth thrown out by the flames was 
 acceptable, and when Arlos drew his blanket around 
 him its clasp was pleasant. 
 
 His thoughts were of the monstrous animal that 
 had terrified him a number of hours before. He 
 preferred to meet him again when it was daylight, 
 though he did not forget what Budd Slogan had 
 told him about the help he was likely to receive 
 from the fire, of which all animals are naturally 
 afraid. 
 
 " I wonder what that is !" 
 
 Peering out in the gloom it seemed to him that a 
 portion of the darkness was becoming more dis- 
 tinctly marked than the rest. It was as if looking 
 down into a deep body of water, one sees a part 
 roiled or murky. 
 
 Where all was black, a portion was blacker than 
 that which surrounded it. 
 
 " That's odd," he muttered, leaning forward and 
 striving to penetrate the darkness. "There can't 
 be anything the matter with my eyes." 
 
 A cold shiver ran down his back. Peering at the 
 mass of deeper shadow, he caught a phosphorescent 
 glow showing at two points near together. It was 
 produced by the reflection of light from the eyes of 
 some animal. At the same moment he heard a low, 
 cavernous growl. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 87 
 
 The grizzly bear had arrived. 
 
 The outlines of the animal were so dimly shown 
 at first that Arlos failed to identify him, but now 
 he wondered that he had not recognized the brute 
 at once. 
 
 The situation was similar to that which the youth 
 had had in mind from the first. He thought the 
 bear would approach unseen in the darkness until 
 at hand, when he would stop because of the blaze 
 that confronted him. 
 
 It was clear that it was that which acted as a 
 check. He had probably caught the odor of meat 
 and was on a tour of investigation. But for the 
 burning wood, he would have borne down on the 
 youth without halt or hesitation. 
 
 Arlos reached out, and seizing a couple of the 
 largest sticks flung them on the blaze. They tem- 
 porarily obscured the flames and he drew a little 
 closer to the fire, which quickly rallied and widened 
 its circle of illumination. 
 
 There was the magnificent monster, clearly 
 revealed in the gloom in all his astounding propor- 
 tions. With the same odd tendency he had shown 
 during the afternoon, he reared on his hind feet and 
 stood nearly erect. 
 
 As he did so he was in plain view, for the glare 
 of the fire was increasing. Arlos brought his 
 
88 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Winchester to his shoulder, aimed beneath the fore- 
 legs and blazed away, following the first shot with 
 three others in rapid succession. 
 
 A muttering growl as the bear dropped upon all 
 fours left no doubt that he had been hit hard enough 
 to feel a stinging pain. 
 
 Now that the young hunter had opened the bom- 
 bardment, he kept it up until he had fired four 
 more times. Then he stopped, not that he might 
 hold the reserve for other emergencies, but because 
 the grizzly, instead of tumbling over and pawing 
 the air, swung ponderously toward the young 
 gentleman, as if he recognized the author of the 
 injuries he had received, and intended to settle ac- 
 counts with him. 
 
 " Gracious ! he must be mad !" exclaimed Arlos, 
 stating a very self-evident fact, as he seized the pro- 
 truding end of a large burning stick ; " he doesn't 
 care for my rifle, and if this won't stop him, I'm in 
 trouble." 
 
 He had dropped his gun, and, with the blazing 
 torch in hand and held in front and above his head, 
 he advanced toward " Old Ephraim." 
 
 If Arlos had been better acquainted with such 
 visitors, it is more than probable he would have felt 
 considerable concern, for bullets would have made 
 but little impression ou the grizzly until after the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 89 
 
 learning was too late to benefit the young hunter. 
 Such an animal has been known to carry " his 
 own point " even after many ounces of lead have 
 been fired into his carcass, and he who would de- 
 pend upon a blazing brand as his only means of 
 defense may not always be able to say with reason- 
 able certainty that he can safely withstand a de- 
 cided charge. 
 
 The bear halted. He was at last confronted by a 
 style of attack which he feared. It is not probable 
 that he had had much if any experience with burn- 
 ing wood, but his instinct told him to beware of so 
 mysterious an enemy. 
 
 Ten feet separated bear and youth when at the 
 same instant the two paused and contemplated each 
 other. 
 
 They formed a striking tableau. The brute 
 again reared and used his paws as if he believed 
 the wound were produced by splints or slivers 
 thrust into the flesh, and he was trying to pull 
 them out. 
 
 Arlos kept the torch gently swaying to prevent 
 a weakening of the blaze, and with one foot ex- 
 tended peered under the glare of the brand, never 
 once removing his eyes from the animal. 
 
 The rearing posture was held but a minute, when 
 he again dropped upon all fours, Arlos slightly 
 
90 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 recoiled, believing he was about to advance, but in- 
 stead of doing so the grizzly swung round and made 
 off in the gloom. He had evidently investigated as 
 far as he desired. 
 
 Instantly the youth flung down the torch, and 
 catching up his rifle let fly with a couple of shots, 
 though whether he struck the animal was uncertain. 
 If he did hit him, he caused little damage. 
 
 "Don't chase him," said Budd Slogan, who, 
 awakened by the noise, had come out of the cave to 
 learn the cause. 
 
 " Do you think I killed him ?" 
 
 " "What sort of shots did you make ?" 
 
 Arlos related what had taken place. 
 
 " Them shots that you landed when he was on 
 his hind legs hurt him ; whether enough to make 
 him pass in his checks can't be told afore to-morrer. 
 The chances, howsumever, are that he'll be all right 
 in a few days and won't know he's been hit at all." 
 
 " He must have half a dozen bullets in his body at 
 the least, and he wasn't ten yards off when I 
 planted them there. If they don't finish him I 
 never want to meet one of the animals alone, 
 unless I have a loaded cannon pointed at him." 
 
 "You may well say that, for though a lucky 
 shot sometimes brings one of 'em down it giner'ly 
 takes a dozen or twenty ; and if what you said 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 91 
 
 about the size of this old Ephraim is true, we may 
 have to use up all our cartridges on him." 
 
 "Do you think he is likely to come back 
 to-night ?" 
 
 " Can't say, but you may as well crawl into the 
 cave, and I'll stand guard till morning." 
 
 " It is only half-past eleven," said Arlos. 
 
 "It isn't worth while for me to lie down agin, 
 but, if you wish, you may set up for a time. How 
 did you keep awake ?" 
 
 "I made up my mind to do it, and did it." 
 
 " You can make up your mind all you want to 
 sometimes and it won't help you. I've been so 
 sleepy when out with Carson or some of the boys 
 that I had to set sticks under my eyelids to keep 
 'em open, and that didn't always do it." 
 
 " When I found I was becoming drowsy I rose 
 to my feet and moved around until I had driven off 
 the feeling." 
 
 " That's the best plan, but you can see, as I said, 
 that when a chap's in the Injin country it isn't safe 
 for him to do that, if the varmints are crawling 
 through the grass or looking for a chance to pick 
 him off. I say, my boy, if you will take } T our rifle 
 and creep out among them trees, I'm purty sartin 
 you'll find your game." 
 
 Arlos looked off through the gloom toward the 
 
92 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 pine grove where he had met the monster that 
 afternoon. The solemn stillness, broken only by 
 the soft rustle of the stream near at hand, and that 
 deep, almost inaudible murmur of the solitude, with 
 the darkness and the loneliness of the scene, were 
 awe-inspiring. The idea of stealing across the open 
 space and entering the impenetrable shadows of 
 the grove of trees, with the almost certain prospect 
 of stumbling over a wounded and gigantic grizzly 
 bear, was enough to make the bravest man 
 tremble. 
 
 "Budd," said he, in a low, earnest voice, "be- 
 tween where we are sitting and the Pacific Ocean 
 are billions of dollars' worth of gold yet unmined. 
 If it were all taken from the ground, placed in one 
 pile and offered to me if I would do what you pro- 
 pose, I would not take the offer. Would you ?" 
 
 " No," was the reply ; " and any man that would 
 do it would be a fool. Come, the best thing you 
 can do is to sleep." 
 
 " You are right ; good night." 
 
 With this parting, Arlos Hayman groped his way 
 into the cavern with his blanket, which he spread 
 on the flinty floor, his saddle serving for a pillow. 
 It was another proof of his high health that 
 within a few minutes he was sound asleep and did 
 not open his eyes until daylight, when the guide 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 3 
 
 called him by name with the announcement that 
 breakfast was waiting. 
 
 Budd reported that nothing had been seen of the 
 bear, and there was no doubt that he was badly 
 wounded. 
 
 " Which the same being the case, the wonder is 
 that he didn't grow crazy with madness and come 
 tearing round here, caring nothing for the fire so 
 that he could chaw us up in two or three mouth- 
 fuls." 
 
 " Now that we have the light to help us, shall we 
 look for him?" 
 
 " My idee purcisely ; come on." 
 
 When they examined the ground where the beast 
 had stood when Arlos attacked him, traces of blood 
 were discovered on the grass. 
 
 " You hit him hard and no mistake," was the 
 comment of the guide, taking the well-marked trail 
 which led directly to the grove ; " perhaps we shall 
 come upon him among them trees. Keep a little 
 further back of me so I will have plenty of elbow 
 room." 
 
 The fear of Arlos was that his friend being thus 
 placed would gain the first sight of the royal game 
 and perhaps give him his finishing touch. Having 
 already done so much, the youth was anxious to 
 complete his exploit. 
 
94 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 He ventured to express his wish, and was 
 relieved when Budd told him in his terse way : 
 
 " Don't fret ; I'll let you have the best show I 
 kin." 
 
 On the edge of the grove the guide paused for a 
 moment and held up his hand without turning his 
 head, as a signal for Arlos to wait where he was. 
 
 Budd was peering among the shadows and listen- 
 ing. When he stepped between the trees it was 
 with the noiselessness of an Indian scout. 
 
 The youth kept his eyes upon his friend until he 
 was partly hidden from sight. When only his 
 head and shoulders were visible he turned his face 
 and beckoned to Arlos to join him. The latter 
 hurriedly obeyed with guarded steps. 
 
 " Never mind 'bout that," called Budd ; " come 
 here as quick as you kin." 
 
 "What have you found?" asked Arlos, as he 
 came up. 
 
 " Look for yerself." 
 
 Glancing in the direction indicated by Budd's fin- 
 ger, the heart of Arlos fairly rose in his throat, for 
 there, like a hillock of blackness, lay the bear-stone 
 dead! 
 
 "Younker, you've done something to be proud 
 of ; you've killed one of the biggest old Ephraims 
 that ever lived in the Bocky Mountains." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 95 
 
 Such was the fact, and no one can censure the 
 youth because a flush of proud pleasure glowed 
 through his frame. The exploit was one that had 
 never been surpassed by Budd Slogan, who had 
 hunted in the great West before Arlos Hayman was 
 born. 
 
 " Do you want to carry the carcass home to show 
 your friends, so as to sorter back up the story, 
 which none of them won't be likely to b'lieve ?" 
 
 " I would take his hide if there was any conven- 
 ient way of doing it." 
 
 " It would be too big a job," said his friend, after 
 a moment's thought, which showed he had not 
 wholly dismissed the scheme ; " but when you show 
 them claws they'll be enough to prove you ain't 
 lying." 
 
 The two forepaws were cut off, so as to preserve 
 the prodigious claws, several of which were fully 
 six inches long. What a terrific foe the brute 
 would have been in a hand-to-hand fight ! 
 
 These trophies were taken back to the cavern 
 and left with the trappings, in the hope that they 
 would be found there when the two were ready to 
 turn their steps homeward. 
 
 The hunters were now ready to take up the pleas- 
 ure that had brought them thus far. They were 
 among the grand scenery of the famous Middle 
 
96 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Park, which even at this day offers sport sur- 
 passed nowhere else in the world. Canyons, ravines, 
 gorges, streams, and towering peaks confronted 
 them, amid which were to be met bears, panthers, 
 wolves, antelope, deer, mountain lions, sheep, and 
 smaller game, with possibly a lawless character 
 now and then to lend additional spice to the 
 experience. 
 
 Although some of the fiercest encounters of 
 Budd Slogan with red men had taken place in this 
 very section, he made light of any repetition of 
 that form of peril. With the completion of the 
 Union Pacific Kailway and the development of the 
 "West, with the innumerable towns and villages 
 dotting nearly every every part of the country, the 
 Indians had either become friendly or had with- 
 drawn deeper into the solitudes where Budd did 
 not propose to disturb them. 
 
 He shared the general prejudice of his class 
 against the aborigines. He heartily subscribed to 
 the declaration that the only good Indian is a dead 
 one, and asserted that he would not trust the best 
 of them. 
 
 At the same time, he insisted that as a people they 
 were cowards. More than once he had stood off a 
 dozen warriors, and the belief that some of them 
 were likely to be met in the region where he and 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 97 
 
 Arlos intended to hunt did not cause him the slight- 
 est uneasiness on account of his companion, who 
 had never encountered a hostile. 
 
 " I've rid right through a village of 'em," Budd 
 said, " where every squaw, buck, and pappoose was 
 a yearning to wipe me out, and the reason they 
 didn't do it was 'cause they seen that I knowed 
 what they felt and was sartin to kill the first one or 
 two that opened the circus. You see they couldn't 
 begin the fun without that happening, and there 
 warn't any of 'em patriotic enough to sacrifice him- 
 self for the others, so I kept my ha'r on my head. 
 If you happen to tumble over a lot of 'em, don't let 
 'em think you're afeared ; keep your eyes open and 
 you'll be all right." 
 
98 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A STRANGE PERIL. 
 
 BEFORE setting out on the hunt for the day, 
 Budd Slogan and Arlos Hayman looked up their 
 ponies. They were found half a mile up the valley 
 contentedly cropping the nourishing grass. Pro- 
 vided they received no attention from hostile men 
 and animals, they were likely to enjoy the jaunt 
 fully as much as their owners. 
 
 Now, while it is often advantageous for two men 
 to hunt in company, it is not always prudent for 
 them to keep near each other, for the vigilant game 
 is more likely to detect their approach. So it was 
 that when the friends had penetrated a considerable 
 distance further without descrying any animals, 
 Budd paused in front of a narrow gorge opening 
 into the valley, his purpose being to make a change 
 in their manner of procedure. 
 
 The gorge itself was barely a dozen yards in 
 width, the rough walls towering almost perpendic- 
 ularly upward foi fully five hundred feet. In some 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 99 
 
 places the height was even greater. The bottom 
 was comparatively level and dry. 
 
 " My idee is that we shall divide for the rest of 
 the day," said Budd, after they had studied their 
 surroundings for some minutes ; " when you see the 
 afternoon is purty well along, which the same you 
 can tell by your watch, without squinting at the 
 sun, why, strike a line for our headquarters, where 
 I'll meet you afore dark." 
 
 " Do you think there is no danger of my becom- 
 ing lost?" 
 
 " The only way you kin get lost is to shet your 
 eyes, walk backwards, turn flip-flaps for half an 
 hour, with your eyes shet all the time. But," added 
 the guide, with more becoming manner, " you will 
 walk up this gorge for a mile more or less. Being 
 as there ain't any way you kin climb out of it, I 
 don't see how you kin manage to lose yourself, even 
 if you do as I told you. I've never been to the end 
 of the gorge, but it's too fur for you to tramp. 
 You've got your gun and revolver, and are likely to 
 have a chance to use 'em both afore you show up in 
 camp to-night." 
 
 " And where will you hunt ?" 
 
 " I'll move to the west ; I won't go very fur from 
 the gorge, so that I can find you if it's necessary." 
 
 Arlos suspected that his friend had planned all 
 
100 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 this so as to drive some game in front of him. 
 Exactly how he would do it the youth could not 
 explain, in view of the peculiarly different positions 
 the two would hold. 
 
 The proposal was so simple that no explanation 
 was needed. As they were on the point of separat- 
 ing, Budd said : 
 
 "It may be that you'll want me, but it ain't 
 likely. If you do, why, fire your gun twice, as quick 
 as you kin ; if you want me powerful bad, fire three 
 times, and if I hear it I'll get to you as soon as I 
 know how." 
 
 "And the same if you should wish me to join 
 you?" 
 
 The guide smiled at the idea of needing help 
 from this young tenderfoot ; and yet his common 
 sense told him that just such a need might arise. 
 Stranger things than that had occurred in bis 
 history. 
 
 "Yes; that's the idee. I'll do precisely the 
 same," he replied, with a nod of his head. 
 
 The next minute he had passed from view up the 
 valley, which was of much the same nature as 
 where they had established their headquarters. 
 
 Left to himself, Arlos Hayman spent no time in 
 idleness. He was now fairly launched upon the 
 enterprise which had brought him where he was. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 101 
 
 He was alone in one of the wildest sections of the 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 Brief as was the time he had been there, it was 
 sufficient for him to have brought down Raided an 
 immense bison, and, far greater than tliat, a grizzly 
 bear of colossal size. *. ' . > ;'*,' {*>* i 
 
 Had he not won his spurs ? Had he not estab- 
 lished his ability to take care of himself in whatever 
 might remain to confront him ? What though the 
 veteran Budd Slogan left him alone, was he in need 
 of any mentor or defender ? 
 
 Now, I am glad to say that Arlos Hayman was 
 altogether too modest and sensible to answer these 
 questions as many a youth in his situation would 
 have answered them. 
 
 He did not forget that such fortune as had come 
 to him was not likely to be repeated in his lifetime. 
 Dangers much less, according to common estima- 
 tion, than those through which he had passed, could 
 readily prove fatal, and he determined to put forth 
 all the discretion and skill of which he was master, 
 even if he knew Budd Slogan was within call. 
 
 With his trusty Winchester slung over his shoulder 
 he strode up the gorge, glancing to the right and 
 left, as well as in front and behind him, with a 
 scrutiny now and then of the tremendous Avails 
 rising on either hand. 
 
102 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 "If Budd intends to drive some game in front of 
 me, I don't see how he will manage it, for they 
 will have to jump down the ravine, in which case 
 there won't be any need of my wasting any shots 
 on them, it may be that some other gorge opens 
 into this, whiah h,e intends to utilize, or, what is 
 just as likely, he intends to leave me alone." 
 
 Here and there the face of one of the walls was 
 so rough that it looked possible for him to climb to 
 the top by clinging to the projections ; but it need 
 not be said that no such intention entered his mind. 
 There were enough risks to face without seeking 
 them out. 
 
 He had gone a quarter of a mile when he caught 
 his first sight of game. A noble mountain buck 
 was descried standing on the edge of the ravine, 
 where the height was fully half a thousand feet. 
 
 He was perched on the very margin, so that 
 another step would take him over, but the veteran 
 mountain climber understood himself too well to 
 commit any blunder like that. 
 
 "I think I can reach him with a bullet," was the 
 reflection of the young hunter, as he came to a halt 
 and prepared to make the shot ; " then, if he falls, 
 he will comedown in front of me, and there'll be 
 another choice dinner for us. I'll try it." 
 
 But he did not ; for while in the act of leveling 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 103 
 
 his Winchester, the buck vanished like a flash. The 
 keen-eyed animal had detected his danger and was 
 gone, nor was it probable that he would show him- 
 self again. 
 
 Arlos was looking toward the point where he 
 had disappeared when he observed that the sky 
 above and beyond was as black as night. The 
 murkiness seemed to cover only a small portion, for 
 he could see the clear atmosphere further over and 
 in front. 
 
 " Budd said we would catch something like that 
 within twenty-four hours. It looks as if it may be 
 a cyclone or hurricane, but I don't imagine that it 
 can trouble me hello ! that's strange !" 
 
 At that moment he heard a rifle fired three times 
 in quick succession. 
 
 It sounded from a point to the westward, and 
 slightly up the ravine. That the reports came from 
 the Winchester of Budd Slogan he could not doubt, 
 nor could he question its meaning. 
 
 The guide was in imminent personal peril, and 
 needed help without an instant's delay. 
 
 Arlos Hayman was in sore distress. He was 
 ready to risk his life for his friend, but how could 
 he do it ? He could not climb the side of the ravine, 
 as he ascertained by a quick scrutiny of the walls. 
 To return to the mouth of the gorge would compel 
 
104 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 him to travel a quarter of a mile, and then make 
 his way to his friend by a still longer and round- 
 about course, for, as stated, the reports came from 
 a point somewhat in advance. 
 
 If there was a cross ravine further along, he could 
 reach and use it in less time, but he had no means of 
 knowing whether such a recourse was at command, 
 and to make the search must consume valuable 
 time. 
 
 " What shall I do ?" he asked himself, in an agony 
 of doubt ; " there must be some place where I can 
 climb the side of the gorge. I'll do it !" 
 
 He began rapidly retracing his steps, studying 
 the walls and stopping several times, under the 
 belief that he had discovered a spot which would 
 permit of such ascent, but in each case he discerned 
 a long stretch of smooth rock, at some part of the 
 towering wall, which was a fatal block to his hopes. 
 
 He was still groping hurriedly back over his own 
 trail, when to his consternation Budd Slogan's rifle 
 was fired again, and three times in rapid succession, 
 as before ! 
 
 " What can have happened to him ? He must be 
 in sore peril." 
 
 Strange that in his distress Arlos Hayman did 
 not dream that the signal might have been intended 
 for his benefit, and that it was he who was threat- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 105 
 
 ened by an overwhelming danger from which he 
 should not lose a moment in fleeing. 
 
 Convinced at last that the only thing he could do 
 was to hurry out of the gorge (since the distance 
 was now so reduced that it could be done as 
 quickly as the ascent of one of the sides), Arlos 
 broke into a run for the mouth of the ravine. He 
 had so fixed the point whence the signals came that 
 he was sure to keep it in mind though he had no 
 idea of the nature of the ground over which he 
 would have to make his way. 
 
 He was still running, when he abruptly paused. 
 A loud, fast-increasing roar came from some point 
 up the gorge. It swelled so rapidly that he was 
 filled with dismay, as is one when threatened by a 
 danger of whose nature he can form no conception. 
 
 Only for a minute or two was he left in doubt. 
 He was starting up the ravine, which made a sharp 
 bend, hardly a hundred yards distant, when a wave 
 of water twenty feet in height plunged into view, 
 as if fired from a gigantic piece of ordnance. 
 
 It struck the opposite rocks with so terrific an 
 impact that the spray flew a dozen yards in the air. 
 Then, with a recoiling swirl, it eddied fiercely, as if 
 staggered by the fierceness of the repulse, and 
 dashed down the gorge with a speed and momentum 
 beyond conception, 
 
106 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 That one glance told Arlos Hayman the fearful 
 story. There had been a cloud-burst directly over 
 the ravine and only a short way off. The immense 
 mass of water, descending between the narrow 
 walls, was rushing downward with inconceivable 
 force and velocity. It must soon spend itself, but 
 until it did so it would hew a path of death and 
 destruction. 
 
 Budd Slogan, with the appearance of the halting 
 cloud directly over the gorge, had comprehended 
 the peril of his young friend, and fired his gun as a 
 warning for him to come without a second's delay. 
 
 Even as Arlos stared at the rush of water he 
 heard the signal of his friend repeated for the third 
 time. The shots were closer, as if the guide was 
 rushing toward the ravine in the hope of giving 
 help to the youth. 
 
 One glance at the torrent, roiled and muddied 
 because of the dirt and debris which it had caught 
 up in its fierce plunge, was enough. Arlos turned 
 and ran with his utmost speed down the ravine, 
 hoping, but not believing, he could reach the outlet 
 in time to save himself. 
 
 When that awful flood visited Conemaugh Valley, 
 in Pennsylvania, on the last day of May, 1889, and 
 annihilated Johnstown, it traveled eighteen miles 
 in seven minutes, faster than any human contriv- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 107 
 
 ance has ever swept over the earth. The current 
 plunging down the ravine behind Arlos Hayman 
 had not the prodigious pressure to force it to such 
 astounding speed, but as it was its fleetness was 
 tenfold greater than that of which he was capable. 
 
 Suddenly Arlos felt the water about his feet and 
 knees. He splashed forward a couple of steps, but 
 in a twinkling was lifted from the ground and away 
 he went, like an arrow fired from a bow, and with 
 no more chance to help himself than if caught in 
 the rapids below Niagara. 
 
 In such crises one's struggles are instinctive. The 
 youth clung fixedly to his rifle and tried to swim. 
 The dirty water filled with' debris was so' over- 
 whelming that he was well-nigh strangled. 
 
 It was below, above, and on all sides ; he fought 
 to catch a breath of air, but it swirled over him 
 again,until he felt that each second might be his last. 
 
 His blind, desperate struggles, however, con- 
 tinued, for what person relinquishes hope so long as 
 life is left to hini ? 
 
 Those were fearful moments, and yet it is in such 
 trying periods that a person's brain becomes a 
 thousandfold more active than his body. Arlos 
 was aware that he had inhaled some air with the 
 choking water, and that there was a chance of his 
 coming out of the rush with his life, 
 
108 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 He was whirling along with such swiftness that 
 he must soon reach the valley below, where the 
 expansion of the torrent over so much surface 
 would change it into a harmless, meandering stream, 
 in which he could become his own master again. 
 
 The imminent peril was that of being hurled 
 against the side of the gorge, in one of the abrupt 
 turns which occurred at several points between him 
 and the valley. It needed but one catastrophe like 
 that to settle his fate. A single impact against the 
 wall would crush every bone in his body and reduce 
 him to pulp. 
 
 Everything went with dizzying swiftness. He 
 now had his eyes open and could form a slight con- 
 ception of where he was going. 
 
 He saw the dark, towering walls on either hand 
 sweeping backward so quickly that the eye could 
 scarcely follow them, and he gasped when it seemed 
 that he was about to be flung squarely against one 
 of the masses of stone that lunged at him again and 
 again before he was aware. 
 
 Was he mistaken or did he really catch a second's 
 glimpse of the figure of his old friend, bending over 
 the ravine, his bearded face white with horror at 
 the sight of that which was below ? 
 
 Arlos shut his eyes and braced himself for the 
 shockj when, with the spray flung high in the air. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 109 
 
 he saw the black wall apparently plunge toward 
 him. 
 
 But not yet. Instead of striking it, he grazed 
 along its front. He felt the rough surface scrape 
 against his clothing, and then thrust him back into 
 the torrent as if it would have none of him. He 
 reached out his free hand in the instinctive grasp- 
 ing for support. He succeeded in seizing a project- 
 ing point, but the same instant was wrenched loose 
 with such abrupt violence that a spasm of pain shot 
 through the limb to the shoulder. 
 
 A fantastic action of the torrent gave the help- 
 less youth an advantage which he never could have 
 expected. The front, it may be said, outsped him, 
 and he was borne forward in that portion which 
 was comparatively quiet as compared with the rest, 
 though it would be a mistake to suppose that any 
 portion of the tumultuous rush bore the least 
 approach to calmness. 
 
 Being at the surface Arlos was able to use his 
 eyes. He could breathe, too, with some comfort. 
 He might have done better had he let go of his 
 rifle and allowed it to sink to the bottom. There 
 would be a good chance of recovering it, since the 
 torrent must soon exhaust itself, but it is a queer 
 fact of human nature that it is sometimes swayed 
 by trifling incidents and motives in the moments of 
 
110 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 supreme peril. He held fast to his weapon and 
 probably would have done so had be known that to 
 drop it would insure his safety. 
 
 Suddenly he grasped another projecting point of 
 stone. He thought for an instant his arm would 
 be wrenched off, but he held on, and almost immedi- 
 ately noticed that the water was subsiding around 
 him. The tugging at his body was momentarily 
 decreasing and soon would wholly cease. 
 
 Just then some one seized his hand and pulled 
 him upward to a ledge where there was secure sup- 
 port for the feet. He was safe at last. 
 
 " Well done, Budd ! I hardly expected this " 
 
 But Arlos checked himself, for the one that had 
 helped him was not Budd Slogan. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. Ill 
 
 CHAPTEK X. 
 
 RA-LO-NO. 
 
 ARLOS HAYMAN was astonished indeed to dis- 
 cover that the hand which grasped his own and 
 lifted him to a secure support upon a projecting 
 ledge did not belong to his friend, Budd Slogan. 
 Not only that, but the individual who had helped 
 him was a young Indian, probably no older than 
 himself. 
 
 The position of the two on the narrow ledge of 
 rock brought them face to face, their bodies touch- 
 ing, so that the scrutiny was at close range too 
 close indeed, for comfort. 
 
 " I am much obliged to you for your kindness," 
 said Arlos. " I had a close call and can hardly un- 
 derstand even now how I escaped with my life." 
 
 The Indian made answer, but his words were in 
 an unknown tongue, so far as the white youth was 
 concerned, and it was equally evident that the 
 young warrior had no comprehension of the Eng- 
 lish language. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The situation, however, was relieved of its em- 
 barrassment by the dusky friend pointing to the 
 top of the gorge, nodding his head, and repeating 
 some aboriginal expression. It was clearly an invi- 
 tation for Arlos to climb to the level ground above, 
 and he nodded in turn to signify that the proposal 
 was acceptable to him, since nothing was to be 
 gained by staying where he was. 
 
 Below was the rushing torrent, subsiding rapidly. 
 When it should exhaust itself probably a hundred 
 feet of perpendicular wall would remain, down 
 which neither could make his way. Above, was 
 three or four times that ascent, with a face so rough 
 and jagged that it looked easy to climb. 
 
 Such must have been the fact, for the young In- 
 dian had descended it. His clothing was dry, and 
 the gestures which he made left no doubt of his 
 meaning. 
 
 The moment Arlos nodded his head the other 
 said something which probably was an invitation 
 for him to follow. The latter nodded again to sig- 
 nify he would do so. 
 
 Instantly the Indian began climbing. It was a 
 treat to see him ascend the face of the rocky wall. 
 Up he went, as nimbly as a sailor in the rigging of 
 his ship. Not once did he hesitate until he was 
 fully fifty feet above the other, when he abruptly 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 113 
 
 stopped and looked down, evidently surprised that 
 Arlos remained standing on the ledge without mak- 
 ing any effort to follow him. 
 
 There was good reason for Arlos maintaining a 
 stationary position, for he was unable to imitate the 
 other without abandoning his rifle, which he would 
 not do. 
 
 Pausing at his lofty perch, the dusky fellow 
 looked inquiringly down at the motionless white 
 youth, who shook his head to signify that he could 
 not do what he had promised. The reason for the 
 refusal was so apparent that the Indian instantly 
 began descending with the same graceful facility, 
 and in an instant was at the other's side again. 
 
 Here Arlos could only look dumbly in his face 
 and smile at his chatter. Suddenly the young war- 
 rior reached out his hand and took hold of the 
 Winchester. He meant to carry it to the top of 
 the ravine for his helpless friend, so as to leave 
 him free to use both hands. 
 
 The " pale face " was in a quandary. The pro- 
 posed aid would solve the difficulty, but could he 
 trust the swarthy stranger? 
 
 True, he had just given proof of his friendship, 
 but he might after all have a sinister motive be 
 yond. To surrender the rifle would be to place 
 himself at the mercy of one who belonged to the 
 
114 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 race which Budd Slogan insisted was always 
 treacherous by nature and education. 
 
 And yet it looked as if Arlos must do that, or 
 wait where he was for the subsidence of the waters, 
 drop his gun to the bottom of the gorge at the risk 
 of injuring it, and then by a long detour recover it 
 ahead of the Indian who would witness the action, 
 and, if he chose, readily anticipate it. 
 
 It was a risky thing, no doubt, but with only a 
 moment of hesitation, Arlos relinqrished his wea- 
 pon, and by another nod signified his acceptance of 
 the proposal. 
 
 The Indian was a matchless climber, showing no 
 more hesitation when deprived of the use of one 
 hand than when both were free. All his limbs 
 were immediately in motion, and he went up the 
 side of the rock as before, never pausing, but fre- 
 quently looking down with some exclamation, 
 meant for encouragement, to his follower, who saw 
 the broad, dusky face peering first on one side and 
 then on the other of his active body, like the full 
 moon through a mass of clouds. 
 
 Arlos used his time, prompted by a most uncom- 
 fortable misgiving, with desperate energy. 
 
 " When he gets to the top, how easy for him to 
 turn and shoot me ! He hasn't any weapon of his 
 own, so far as I saw, but he must know something 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 115 
 
 about the Winchester, and its bath in the torrent 
 hasn't hurt it as much as it hurt me. If he doesn't 
 wish to shoot me he can make off with the gun, and 
 then I'll be in a pretty fix." 
 
 The eagerness to keep as near as he could to the 
 fellow brought Arlos to the top only a few minutes 
 behind him. Once, when near the end of his climb, 
 the white youth touched his hand to his hip to 
 make sure that his revolver was there, though, if 
 the other meditated violence, the advantage was 
 overwhelmingly on his side. 
 
 But Arlos had done the Indian injustice. He not 
 only stood quiescent while the other was ascending, 
 but leaned over, and again taking his hand, fairly 
 drew him up the remaining few feet by sheer 
 strength. The instant they stood side by side the 
 dusky youth handed back the Winchester to Arlos, 
 who expressed his thanks by prof useness of gesture. 
 
 u Ra-lo-no," repeated the Indian so many times, 
 that Arlos concluded he meant to make known that 
 that was his name. 
 
 "Ka-lo-no," said Arlos in turn, extending his 
 hand, which was warmly shaken; "my name is 
 Arlos- Arlos- Arlo& !" 
 
 " Oogm ! ah ooh Arlos-Arlos- Arlos !" 
 
 And the two grinned and nodded their heads. 
 At least they had learned each other's names, 
 
116 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 though it was beyond their power to use any more 
 words that could help them. 
 
 Arlos now made a more critical survey of his 
 companion, who he believed was his friend, though 
 not wholly free from misgiving concerning him. 
 
 He was a stocky, sturdy youth, with long black 
 hair, parted in the middle and dangling about his 
 shoulders. The broad face, of course, was beardless, 
 and, instead of being attired in savage costume, he 
 was dressed in as civilized a garb as Arlos Hayman 
 himself. The coat was of thick texture, with a roll- 
 ing collar, and was dark blue in color. The sleeves 
 were rolled above the elbow, displaying a red flan- 
 nel shirt beneath, which was open at the throat 
 and without any tie. A thick blanket was wrapped 
 about the body and flung over the left shoulder, 
 while he wore ordinary trousers and thick shoes. 
 If any of my readers have visited the civilized 
 tribes in the Indian territory they have seen many 
 counterparts of Ra-lo-no, who presented himself 
 unexpectedly as the friend of Arlos Hayman. 
 
 The latter felt so grateful to him that he deter- 
 mined to express his feelings in some way, inasmuch 
 as he could not fittingly do so in words. 
 
 In addition to his large hunting-knife, Arlos car- 
 ried a handsome pearl-handled implement with four 
 blades of fine temper and all very sharp. Drawing 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 117 
 
 it from his pocket, he hunted for a stick and then 
 proved how keenly it would cut. 
 
 He closed that blade and tried two others in turn. 
 The fourth was a file which he rubbed along his 
 finger nails to show the purpose for which it was 
 intended. 
 
 All this time Ka-lo-no stood attentively watching 
 the action of his new acquaintance. The American 
 race has the reputation of being melancholy and 
 taciturn, rarely indulging in smiles or laughter, or 
 giving way to emotion in any form, but no Cauca- 
 sian could surpass Ra-lo-no in grinning ability. His 
 naturally wide mouth threatened to endanger his 
 ears, but the smile was the more pleasing because 
 of the rows of white, even teeth which were abso- 
 lutely perfect. 
 
 " Ea-lo-no, I am sure you will not deprive me of 
 the pleasure of seeing you accept this slight testi- 
 monial of my distinguished consideration. I am 
 aware that you can't understand a word of what I 
 am saying, and therefore I will add the clause 
 which I suppose has been used probably five hun- 
 dred million times since gift-making became popular ; 
 this is presented to you, not because of its intrinsic 
 worth, but as expressive of my esteem and adniira.- 
 tion of your character. 
 
 In other words ; 
 
118 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 u ' When this you see, 
 Remember me. ' 
 
 " Allow me," and bowing low, Arlos handed the 
 knife to Ra-lo-no, who had stared hopelessly with 
 his chronic grin while the speech was under way, 
 but who instantly caught the meaning of the 
 gesture. 
 
 Arlos has always insisted that he saw the ears of 
 his Indian friend shift back to elude the corners of 
 his mouth at the moment he comprehended how 
 wealthy a young man he had been made by the 
 munificence of the pale face. He repeated a jumble 
 of words which were doubtless intended as an 
 acknowledgment, but which were all " Greek " to 
 Arlos. Nevertheless, he waved his hand and said 
 airily : 
 
 " Don't mention it, Ra-lo-no ; I quite agree with 
 your sentiments, which being the case, what's the 
 use of dwelling upon them ? Now, if you have any 
 views to express on the tariff question, I will be 
 glad to listen, for I fear our sentiments may not be 
 in accord. Still I always hold myself open to 
 conviction." 
 
 There was a certain enjoyment in this nonsense, 
 for the improving health of Arlos and his safe 
 deliverance out of peril put him in the best of 
 spirits, but he felt also that there was food for serious 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 119 
 
 thought, and important matters claimed his atten- 
 tion. 
 
 It was not likely that Ea-lo-no would be in this 
 neighborhood unless he had friends close by. There 
 was no government reservation nearer than that of 
 the Shoshones to the north, and it was not prudent 
 to take it for granted that the other members of 
 his tribe would evince the same comity that the 
 youth had shown. 
 
 If Ea-lo-no was like most of the people whom 
 Budd Slogan had met, it would not be strange if he 
 was at heart a bitter and treacherous enemy, though 
 Arlos could not believe this until he saw the proof. 
 
 The white youth's garments were saturated, and 
 he had left his blanket at home. He was chilly, but 
 he would not allow Ea-lo-no to perceive it, through 
 fear that he would force his own blanket upon him, 
 which he was resolved not to permit. 
 
 And yet Ea-lo-no did that very thing. Arlos, in 
 spite of himself, shuddered slightly. Like a flash, 
 and before he could protest, the young Indian flung 
 the heavy blanket about his shoulders. 
 
 " I suppose I'll have to wear it," said the recipi- 
 ent, "and it doesn't feel bad, but remember, my 
 good fellow, that it's only borrowed." 
 
 Another query that presented itself to Arlos was 
 whether this good-hearted youth had not met Dolph 
 
120 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Bushkirk, who entered the region the previous 
 week. It seemed reasonable to believe that such 
 was the case, all of which might be true without 
 giving Arlos any benefit, since he had no means of 
 questioning him. 
 
 "I wonder where Budd can be," he suddenly 
 thought, looking around him ; " he fired his gun to 
 hurry me out of the gorge, but the torrent did that 
 job quicker than I could myself. I don't know 
 whether he can talk the language of Ea-lo-no, but 
 I've heard him say that Indians can understand 
 each other by means of signs, when they may not 
 know a word of spoken language. If he were here 
 he could give help." 
 
 But he wasn't there, and there was no saying 
 when he would be. He must have known that 
 Arlos was caught in the cloud-burst, with the 
 chances vastly against his deliverance therefrom, 
 and he would hunt for him. 
 
 Failing to find any trace of the youth where the 
 waters expanded and lost their force in the valley, 
 he would ascend the gorge in further prosecution of 
 his search. 
 
 Stepping back a few paces to look at the torrent, 
 Arlos was astounded. It had spent its force almost 
 as rapidly as it had come into existence. Along 
 the bottom of the gorge twisted a muddy stream, 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 121 
 
 with, here and there pools in the hollows that had 
 been filled by the deluge. 
 
 Arlos was curious enough to study the face of the 
 wall up which he had climbed, and which was now 
 visible all the way to the bottom. 
 
 "I never could have done it," he said with a 
 shudder, as he saw that the wall for nearly the 
 entire distance beneath where he had stood was 
 without ledge or indentation. "Ra-lo-no was the 
 friend in need ; I would have had to throw away 
 my gun before I could climb to this place." 
 
 But it would not do to spend the day standing at 
 the side of the gorge, going through the farce of 
 trying to talk with one who could not understand 
 a syllable of what was said. 
 
 "I thought I saw Budd peering over the bank 
 when I was spinning along, but it must have been 
 a fancy of mine. I wonder whether it can be that 
 he was in danger and really needed my help ! If 
 he did, the time for it is past." 
 
 The thought was a distretsing one, and Arlos 
 acted at once upon the suggestion it brought to 
 him. A little survey of the surroundings showed 
 that he had climbed out of the gorge at a point 
 hardly a hundred yards from where it opened into 
 the valley. 
 
 The discovery suggested that if he had continued 
 
122 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 to go with the torrent instead of nearly wrenching 
 his arm off in the effort to check his progress, he 
 would have been safe in a very brief time. 
 
 "Still there was the chance that I might have 
 had my head cracked against the rocks ; and then, 
 too, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of making 
 the acquaintance of Ra-lo-no. I wonder how the 
 mischief he happened to be down there on the 
 ledge when I made a grab for it." 
 
 It was a curious circumstance ! The only expla- 
 nation that suggested itself to Arlos was that, from 
 his position at the top of the ravine, the Indian had 
 seen the white youth engulfed, and had hastily 
 descended the wall with the purpose of making a 
 desperate effort to save him. 
 
 Having obtained his bearings, Arlos fixed in his 
 mind the point whence came the report of Budd 
 Slogan's rifle, and started to hunt for him. 
 
 He had no wish to part company with Ka-lo-no, 
 and invited him by gesture to accompany him. 
 Ra-lo-no grinned a little more and complied, falling 
 behind, as if in compliment to the Caucasian youth. 
 
 "I wonder what he means by that," muttered 
 Arlos, with a qualm of misgiving. " I don't think 
 these people are well up in the laws of etiquette 
 among us, but it looks as if he resigned the lead 
 out of compliment to me. It gives him a good 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 123 
 
 chance to jab his knife in my back, for I observe he 
 has one under his blanket, not to mention that little 
 implement of mine, which is as sharp as a razor." 
 
 A moment's reflection, however, drove the ugly 
 suspicion from the youth's mind. Surely if Ka-lo-no 
 intended evil, he would have carried out his pur- 
 pose when Arlos was below him in the gorge and 
 the opportunity was the best he could ever have. 
 
 Nevertheless, the New Yorker motioned for his 
 companion to take his place at his side, and he did 
 so without hesitation. 
 
 " He's a powerful fellow," said the white youth, 
 admiringly surveying the shoulders and limbs of 
 the other. " He can climb like a monkey, and I've 
 no doubt can run as fast well, as I maybe," he 
 added, smiling at his own joke, which had to be 
 lost upon his companion. 
 
 "The ground over which they picked their way 
 was much broken. It showed hardly a sign of 
 vegetation, which was so plentiful in the valley be- 
 low. It was up and down, crossed by deep fissures, 
 and so broad in many places that it took quite a 
 leap to carry one to the other side. 
 
 When it was necessary as was often the case 
 for the two to travel in Indian file, Ra-lo-no led, a 
 fact which caused Arlos no little self-reproach. 
 
 "I wonder whether he has any suspicion of the 
 
124 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 thoughts that were in my mind ; if I believed he 
 had, I would be filled with mortification." 
 
 It need hardly be said that by this time all mis- 
 giving on the part of Arlos Hayman had vanished. 
 He would not have hesitated to trust his companion 
 to any extent. 
 
 He admired the youth as he leaped sometimes 
 over a boulder or across a fissure with the easy 
 grace of a trained athlete. 
 
 All at once, Ea-lo-no, who was slightly in front, 
 paused and held up his hand with a subdued excla- 
 mation. 
 
 He had discovered something the nature of 
 which he did not understand, but meant to learn. 
 
LOSt IN THE ROCKIES. 125 
 
 CHAPTEE XL 
 
 INTERESTING NEWS. 
 
 RA-LA-NO had halted in front of a mass of rocks 
 and boulders piled to a height of fully a hundred 
 feet and covering an area of half an acre. They 
 were totally bare of vegetation around their bases, 
 and would have formed an impregnable refuge for a 
 small force against ten times its number. 
 
 At the moment of stopping the young Indian was 
 slightly in advance of Arlos, so that a couple of 
 steps placed the latter beside his dusky guide. 
 What it was that had caught his attention Arlos 
 could not guess, for he neither saw nor heard any 
 sign of life ; but he knew the marvelous keenness 
 of the American race, that reads signs invisible to 
 another as readily as a white man interprets the 
 meaning of the printed page. 
 
 That Ra-lo-no had observed something suspicious 
 was beyond question. 
 
 Arlos suspected that it was some kind of game, 
 for he reasoned that a white man was not likely to 
 be an enemy of himself, while, if the stranger was 
 
126 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 an Indian, he would be well disposed toward the 
 dusky guide. 
 
 The stationary, listening attitudes of the two had 
 lasted hardly a minute, when Ea-lo-no pointed to a 
 break in the rocks about a dozen feet above the 
 ground. At the same time he uttered an expres- 
 sion which probably meant " Look !" and Arlos 
 obeyed. 
 
 At first he could discover nothing to warrant the 
 emotion of his companion, but a closer scrutiny re- 
 vealed something projecting from over the top of a 
 flat rock, which looked like a short, dark-colored 
 branch or limb, shorn of its twigs, but which was 
 quickly revealed as the barrel of a rifle. 
 
 The weapon was not pointed toward them, but 
 was in that position that it could be instantly 
 turned to any point of the compass by the man be- 
 hind it, the top of whose slouch hat was disclosed 
 against the bowlders back of him. 
 
 There seemed to be something familiar in the 
 headgear, though no portion of the individual's 
 head showed. Nevertheless, it was evident that he 
 was aware of the approach of the two youths, and 
 was ready for any demonstration by them. 
 
 The hat, as partly shown, was of the same color 
 as the background of dark rock, which explains 
 why Arlos Hayman failed at first to notice it. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 127 
 
 Knowing that it was a white man who thus com- 
 manded the situation, he called : 
 
 " Hello, there ! we are friends ! Don't be afraid 
 to show yourself." 
 
 " Who's afeard of two younkers like you ?" 
 
 As the question was asked the man rose to an 
 erect position, revealing the shoulders and head of 
 the grinning Budd Slogan, who stepped out of the 
 pocket and approached the youths. His whole in- 
 terest seemed to be in Ra-lo-no, and he watched 
 him closely until directly in front of the two. 
 Then, without noticing his young friend, he ad- 
 dressed an inquiry to the Indian in his native 
 tongue. 
 
 The dusky face lighted up and the youth 
 exhibited one of his tremendous grins as he an- 
 swered the query, and made a remark or two of 
 his own. Then the conversation continued for a 
 brief while without the least attention being shown 
 to the wondering third party, who could only con- 
 jecture what it all meant. 
 
 Although Budd Slogan could make himself under- 
 stood in the lingo of the Indian youth, his speech 
 was so halt that he had to assist it by means of 
 signs which were so numerous and curious that 
 they were incomprehensible to Arlos Hayman. 
 
 Suddenly Budd extended his hand to the latter. 
 
128 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " You've been taking a swim, hain't you ?'* 
 
 " I suspect I have ; I couldn't very well help it. I 
 heard your gun fired three times as we agreed 
 should be the urgency signal." 
 
 " You knowed what it meant ; why didn't you do 
 some tall traveling ?" 
 
 " I did ; but I had no suspicion that it was a warn- 
 ing for me to get out of the gorge as soon as I 
 could." 
 
 " How else could you come to me without climb- 
 ing out, being likewise the same that I wasn't in it ? 
 As soon as I seen the cloud burst I knowed what 
 was comin' and called for you." 
 
 " Then you were in no need of my help ?" 
 
 " Not much ; I started to hunt you up, but couldn't 
 get to the gorge in time. Howsumever, I seen you 
 after this redskin had helped pull you out. I knowed, 
 too, that you would set out to hunt for me, so I 
 slipped back and hid just to larn what sort of a scout 
 you would make. Younker, you're a dead failure." 
 
 " I do not doubt it ; but what of my companion, 
 Ka-lo-no?" 
 
 " How d' you know his name ?" 
 
 " He told me." 
 
 "He can't talk English." 
 
 "I know that, but he can pronounce his own 
 name, which I take it isn't English." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 129 
 
 "You've got it right, and he seems to have 
 yours." 
 
 " What tribe does he belong to?" 
 
 " The Shoshones ; their reservation is to the north 
 of the Union Pacific Railroad, to the east of the 
 "Wind River Mountains, south of the Owl Creek 
 range, and west of the Big Horn and Rattlesnake 
 Mountains. It's about as fur north of the railroad 
 as we're south of it, and between the reservation 
 and the railroad is the Sweetwater range ; so you 
 see this younker has come a good way." 
 
 " But I thought the Indians were not allowed to 
 go off their reservations ?" 
 
 "It's agin rules, but they do it all the time. 
 Sometimes they get permission to leave for a little 
 while, but it isn't hard for a dozen of 'em to come the 
 grand sneak, which I reckon is what has been done 
 this time, though Ra-lo-no says the officers give him 
 and the rest permission to hunt down in Middle Park, 
 which the same I don't b'lieve, for they kin get 
 plenty of hunting without coming half as fur as 
 this." 
 
 " What do you think is the real reason ?" 
 
 " It's hard to tell, but an Injin is the same as you 
 and me ; he likes to do that which he is told he 
 mustn't do. They're fond of roaming round the 
 country ; sometimes they'll go hundreds of miles 
 
130 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 from home, just for the fun of the thing. I once 
 met three Crows in New Mexico, where they was 
 more than a thousand miles from home, and 
 Kit Carson told me he had seen some of these Sho- 
 shones in Southern Calif orny, where they don't 
 b'long any more than they do in Afriky. Injins is 
 queer critters, and there's only one thing about 'em 
 that you can be sartin of, and that is that they'll 
 bite every time they get a chance and think it's 
 safe." 
 
 " Ka-lo-no certainly did not bite when he had 
 every chance in the world. I let him take my rifle, 
 and he could have tumbled me back into the gorge 
 when I was climbing up, with hardly any effort on 
 his part." 
 
 Budd shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " He's got other idees in his mind. You'll find 
 him out afore you're many years older, but we kin 
 afford to let that go fur the time." 
 
 While the two were talking the young Shoshone 
 glanced from one countenance to the other, as if 
 he was trying to interpret the words by the motion 
 of their lips. Hearing his own name pronounced, 
 he must have known that he was the subject of a 
 part at least of their conversation, though everything 
 that was uttered was beyond his comprehension. 
 
 "Younker," said Budd, in his abrupt manner, 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 131 
 
 " we ain't the only ones that is hunting in this part 
 of the country." 
 
 "That is what I have supposed from the first. 
 We know that my friend Dolph Bushkirk and your 
 acquaintance, Varnum Brown, are somewhere in the 
 neighborhood. Then, I understand, there is a party 
 of Shoshones, and what more likely than that other 
 white men are looking for game, though it is rather 
 late in the season for them." 
 
 " I'm afeard there's some characters that it won't 
 be best for us to meet, and when I say that I don't 
 mean Injins." 
 
 This was the first time the guide had declared in 
 unmistakable language that he knew of people of 
 their own race not far off who were dangerous. 
 
 While separated from Arlos and pushing his hunt 
 alone, he had made several discoveries which were 
 anything but pleasant. He did not give particulars, 
 but told his young friend that when abroad he must 
 take special pains to look out for white men and to 
 avoid them under all circumstances, unless they 
 were his old friends whom he was eager to meet. 
 
 Budd now resumed his conversation with the 
 young Shoshone, while Arlos became the amused 
 listener. Both talked fast, frequently at the same 
 moment, and gesticulated energetically. Now and 
 then one of them showed by his looks and manner 
 
132 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 that he failed to catch the meaning of the other, but 
 on the whole they got along well. 
 
 The result was that Budd Slogan acquired much 
 interesting information which he imparted to Arlos 
 Hayman. 
 
 Ra-lo-no had come with more than a dozen of his 
 people from the Wind River reservation, for what 
 might be termed a rambling hunt. His father was 
 a medicine man, and both he and the sister of Ra- 
 lo-no were members of the party. 
 
 The Shoshones had been peaceful for a long time, 
 and had given so little trouble that they readily ob- 
 tained permission to be absent a month, half of 
 which time had already expired. 
 
 Reflection convinced Budd that this story was 
 true. The guide had come upon indications of the 
 presence of a hunting party of Indians in the neigh- 
 borhood, who were undoubtedly those to whom the 
 youth belonged. 
 
 An odd feature of the excursion was that when 
 Ra-lo-no left home he brought with him neither gun 
 nor bow and arrows, his only weapon being a fine 
 hunting knife. He generally carried a short, 
 heavy stick, which could be of little service, but it 
 would seem that he ought to have had no trouble in 
 securing something effective with which to defend 
 himself or hunt. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 133 
 
 It was possible that the fact of his father being a 
 famous medicine man had something to do with this 
 singular deprivation, though Budd could not explain 
 how it was. 
 
 Another theory was that Ea-lo-no had offended 
 his parent, who took this means of showing his 
 displeasure. 
 
 But Budd gathered from the Shoshone some 
 interesting news. He had withdrawn from the 
 main party early that morning. He did not explain 
 why he did so, but said they were no more than two 
 miles away on the western side of a ridge which he 
 pointed out. 
 
 There were a number of white men also hunting 
 through the mountains. They were ugly characters, 
 who had exchanged shots with the Shoshones. 
 They showed their evil nature by opening fire after 
 the Indians had made signs of friendship. They 
 slightly wounded one of the warriors, who returned 
 the shots so briskly that the outlaws drew off. 
 
 " Them's the ones we must look out fur," he said, 
 compressing his lips and shaking his head ; " it's a 
 toss up if they ain't hoss thieves, train robbers, or 
 burglars, that are up here to keep out of the way of 
 officers. They look on every one as their enemies, 
 and would fire on us as quick as they did on them 
 Shoshones." 
 
134 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 But that which interested Arlos before everything 
 else was a statement of Ka-lo-no, which made it 
 certain he had met Dolph Bushkirk and his guide, 
 Yarnum Brown. He had seen them two days 
 previous beside a small stream five or six miles to 
 the north. Ra-lo-no and his sister Ko-mo-mo had 
 accepted the invitation of the white people to share 
 dinner with them, so it was plain they were on good 
 terms. 
 
 The description which Ra-lo-no gave of the hunter 
 left no doubt in the mind of Budd that he was his 
 old acquaintance, Yarnum Brown, and since Arlos 
 was equally positive as to Dolph Bushkirk, the 
 identity of the two was considered as having been 
 established. 
 
 This being the fact, Arlos was eager to push the 
 search without delay. "We ought to find them 
 without trouble, for they can't be very far off," he 
 said. " Then, too, Budd, we shall be much stronger 
 when there are four of us instead of two." 
 
 " Yes," replied the guide, showing less interest in 
 the matter than the youth expected ; " I'd like to 
 see Yarn Brown, and though I don't know the 
 younker you're talking about, I will like him 'cause 
 he's a friend of your'n." 
 
 " You can't help it ; he's a splendid fellow ; a 
 good deal more of a companion than I." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 135 
 
 " He'll do, if he ain't any better," remarked the 
 guide with a smile. 
 
 To the surprise of Arlos, Budd decided that while 
 the two youths should make search for the others 
 he would not join them. 
 
 " I won't be fur off, and if you want me, you 
 know how to call me ; we haven't got any game 
 yet, and it will soon be noon." 
 
 " I ate so large a breakfast that I think I can 
 stand it until the afternoon is well along. In fact, 
 it strikes me that two meals a day are better than 
 three, though you needn't think I am losing my 
 appetite, for I could eat four or five and enjoy 
 them all." 
 
 Having made his decision, the guide, as was his 
 custom, acted upon it without waste of time. 
 
 A little further talk with Ka-lo no made every- 
 thing clear to him. The Indian understood that 
 the young man and boy whom he had met two days 
 before were friends of these, whom they wished to 
 find, and he cheerfully agreed to do what he could 
 to bring the parties together. Then Budd strode 
 off, passing around the huge pile of bowlders and 
 disappearing from sight. 
 
 " What a pity you and I can't understand each 
 other?" said Arlos, looking with a smile at the 
 young Shoshone, who answered with his all-em- 
 
136 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 bracing grin. "I can speak a little French and 
 German, but of course you haven't got that far in 
 your studies. Now, Ra-lo-no, we are to hunt a 
 couple of men instead of wild animals." 
 
 The action of the Shoshone would have indicated 
 that the words were fully understood, but he was 
 only following instructions received a few minutes 
 before from Budd Slogan. He continued to grin, 
 as a matter of course, and, nodding his head, ac- 
 companied by a gesture of his hands, set out in the 
 direction of the broad valley, where Arlos and his 
 guide had established their headquarters the day 
 before. 
 
 The youth was relieved to know that he was not 
 likely to suffer from his involuntary bath in the 
 gorge. His clothing was nearly dry, and Ka-lo-no's 
 heavy blanket kept his body in a comfortable glow. 
 At such times a healthy person has only to main- 
 tain his natural temperature by exercise, to parry 
 any cold or chill. 
 
 It was only a brief walk to the edge of the valley, 
 where they paused for a minute and surveyed the 
 scene spread before them. 
 
 Far less traces of the spasmodic deluge were in 
 sight than would be thought. The vast volume of 
 water, after squeezing, through the gorge, had 
 widened out and overflowed the valley over a space 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 137 
 
 of many acres. The slope, however, quickly carried 
 it to the lowest point, where, it will be remembered, 
 a small stream wound its way. 
 
 This served as an outlet, and so rapidly had the 
 water been carried off that the only signs were the 
 bits of driftwood strewn here and there along 
 the slope, and the roiled and slightly increased 
 volume of the stream, which was fast clearing 
 itself. 
 
 Arlos saw nothing of the ponies, but this caused 
 him no concern. It had been decided to leave them 
 to themselves, and he did not intend to make any 
 hunt for animals until the time arrived to start 
 homeward. 
 
 Pausing but a brief while on the bank, Ea-lo-no 
 led the way down the slope and turned to the right. 
 This was up the valley and away from the rocks 
 where Arlos and Budd had established their rendez- 
 vous, or headquarters. 
 
 The vigor and promptness with which the young 
 Shoshone advanced looked as if he had a definite 
 point in mind, where he expected to find the other 
 white hunters, but such was not the fact. He was 
 following a theory rather than any special, clearly 
 defined plan. 
 
138 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEK XII. 
 
 RA-LO-NO'S action was that of a person who was 
 familiar with every square rood of the country, and 
 yet, until his late visit to Middle Park, he had never 
 set foot within its precincts. 
 
 He belonged to a race who have lived for 
 centuries in solitudes and the wildest fastnesses. 
 While he was as sure-footed as an Alpine climber, 
 he stepped as lightly as a fawn, his little black eyes 
 glancing to the right and left, and not failing to 
 note the most insignificant signs. Young as was 
 this Indian, he was a consummate trailer and 
 woodman. 
 
 " It's a pity he hasn't a rifle," reflected Arlos, 
 who could hardly keep his admiring eyes from him. 
 " I wish I had brought an extra gun with me, so as 
 to present it to him. If the thing can be managed 
 I shall do it." 
 
 The tramp continued for a mile without incident. 
 The character of the valley underwent no perceptible 
 change. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 139 
 
 At the end of the mile it gre\v more broken. 
 The stream, which had been flowing over so slight 
 an incline as to cause only a few ripples, tumbled 
 down a ledge of rocks twenty feet in height, 
 breaking into foam at the bottom and sending up 
 a volume of spray, through which the colors of 
 the rainbow were observed when the sun's rays 
 struck it. 
 
 The two paused for a minute to view the pleasing 
 waterfall, but the Shoshone had seen too many, a 
 hundredfold more striking, to be detained by such 
 a trifle. With an exclamation he turned to the 
 right, so as to flank the falls, and pushed on. 
 
 They had gone but a few rods when he stopped so 
 suddenly that Arlos, who was but a couple of paces 
 behind him, was startled. 
 
 But he perceived the cause. A graceful antelope, 
 probably on its way to the stream for drink, had 
 come face to face with them, and paused, so fright- 
 ened that for the instant it was transfixed. It was 
 perhaps fifty yards off, where the ground was several 
 feet higher, and formed a pretty picture with its 
 graceful head in air, and its gentle, inquiring eyes 
 fixed upon the dreaded strangers. 
 
 But it was only for an instant. Its instinct 
 warned it of its peril, and it whirled like a flash and 
 dashed off with the speed of the wind. 
 
140 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Quickly as this was done Ra-lo-no anticipated it 
 by extending his hand toward the Winchester of 
 Arlos, who was about to bring it to his shoulder ; 
 but reading the wish of the young Shoshone, he 
 passed the weapon to him. In a twinkling it was 
 at his shoulder and leveled at the fleeling antelope, 
 who was so astonishingly quick in his movements 
 that he had already considerably increased the 
 distance between him and his enemies. 
 
 It seemed that the gun was hardly at a horizontal 
 when the Shoshone pressed the trigger. The animal 
 made a wild bound in air, and falling to the earth 
 hardly moved. 
 
 He had been killed as suddenly as if shot 
 through the heart. The exploit of Ka-lo-no could 
 not have been surpassed by any professional. It 
 was perfect. 
 
 He handed back the weapon to Arlos and started 
 on a loping trot toward his prize. The delighted 
 owner of the piece was at his heels, and as they 
 reached the spot where the lifeless antelope lay, 
 Arlos slapped the Shoshone on the shoulder. 
 
 " Splendid ! capital ! I couldn't have beaten that 
 myself !" he exclaimed. 
 
 Ka-lo-no must have known these were enthusiastic 
 comments, and it is not unlikely that he was pleased 
 with what he had done. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 141 
 
 " Wherever you learned to shoot, you had a good 
 teacher ; if there's any possible way of getting you 
 a weapon you shall have the best that money can 
 purchase, Ea-lo-no. You're what might be called a 
 dandy." 
 
 But if the youth was really proud of his exploit 
 he showed no evidence of it. The poetry of his 
 nature gave way to the practical fact that the 
 means for a substantial and toothsome meal was 
 before him. He drew his hunting knife, with the 
 intention of extracting the choicest portions for 
 himself and friend. 
 
 The Shoshone was leaning over, with his eye 
 upon the spot where he meant to insert the point 
 of his knife, when he and Arlos were startled by a 
 gruff voice : " Hey, thar ! drap that !" 
 
 Looking up, they saw a white man striding to- 
 ward them. He had been concealed behind one of 
 the numerous bowlders, which seemed to be on 
 every hand, and was only a few rods distant. 
 
 He was dressed similarly to Budd Slogan, but his 
 face was of a most forbidding appearance. His 
 scraggy black whiskers grew almost to his eyes, 
 which were black, large, and protruding. His hair, 
 of the same color, dangled over his forehead, so 
 that he suggested a wild animal glaring through a 
 thicket. 
 
142 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 He was stoop-shouldered, held a rifle in his right 
 hand, a belt of cartridges spanned his burly waist, 
 and the handles of a revolver and knife were in 
 sight. There could be no question that this des- 
 perado was " well heeled." 
 
 His voice befitted him, for it was husky and 
 rasping. Arlos set him down at once as a typical 
 " bad man," several specimens of which he had seen 
 in Denver, and after leaving that city ; but since 
 the fellow was alone it cannot be said that the 
 youth felt any fear of him. He felt resentful that 
 the stranger should have addressed the harsh 
 words to Ra-lo-no, who had given no cause for 
 offense. 
 
 Holding his Winchester ready for use, and making 
 sure his pistol was within immediate reach, Arlos 
 looked the man in the eye as he came up, and 
 asked : 
 
 " What do you mean by telling us to drop that ?" 
 
 " I mean jes' what I said, tenderfoot'; you heerd 
 me, didn't you ?" 
 
 " Of course we did ; but does this game belong to 
 you ?" 
 
 " In course it does ; it's mine !" replied the fellow, 
 halting within a couple of paces of the youth, and 
 glaring savagely at him. 
 
 Ra-lo-no had straightened up, and with his knife 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 143 
 
 in hand, recoiled a step, but kept his eyes upon the 
 intruder. Though he did not understand the words 
 spoken, he could not fail to suspect their meaning. 
 
 "What claim have you to the antelope? 1 ' de- 
 manded Arlos. 
 
 " 'Cause I shot him ; ain't that 'nough ?" 
 
 "You didn't shoot him; he was killed by my 
 friend with my rifle." 
 
 The fellow emitted a fierce expletive and turned 
 his gaze upon the young Shoshone, who, standing 
 proudly erect, confronted him without flinching. 
 
 "You're one of them varmints we had a row with 
 t'other day ; you pinked Bill Spriggens, and we're 
 goin' to squar' 'counts with you for it. I take only 
 one chaw at kids like you." 
 
 " He can't understand a word of what you say, 
 and if he did he wouldn't be scared by such stuff as 
 that," retorted Arlos, who, shifting his rifle to his 
 left hand, rested his right upon the butt of the 
 revolver at his hip. 
 
 " He'll understand what I'm drivin' at afore I'm 
 through with him," growled the ill-favored stranger, 
 who suddenly ducked his head, made a horrible 
 grimace, and emitting a noise like the bark of a cur, 
 leaped toward the Shoshone, thrusting his head 
 almost into his face. 
 
 It was a bluff which he expected would frighten 
 
144 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 the young Indian out of his wits, and send him 
 scurrying for life. It not only failed, however, to 
 do that, but resulted in a scare to the man that 
 fairly made his teeth chatter. 
 
 Ea-lo-no did not recoil, but struck full at the visage 
 with his knife, the point of the blade actually 
 scratching the bulging nose. No doubt had he 
 chosen he could have given the fellow a desperate 
 wound, but what he did served for the moment as 
 well ; it sent the man backward with a shudder of 
 terror. 
 
 " Better let him alone," said Arlos, with a laugh ; 
 "he's dangerous, and if you make him mad will 
 carve you up before you can say c Jack Robinson.' ' 
 
 " Carve me up !" roared the man, with another 
 imprecation ; " I'm going to cut off your ears, and 
 then chaw both of you up." 
 
 " Suppose you start in with him and then tackle 
 me, or, if you prefer, you can make a beginning 
 with me." 
 
 The desperado turned his fierce glance upon the 
 youth. If fiendish scowls could have smitten a per- 
 son, Arlos Hayman would have succumbed, but he 
 did not loosen his grasp upon his small weapon. 
 
 "Do you know," said the stranger, " that I'm a 
 ba-a-d man ?" 
 
 " I don't doubt that you are a scoundrel and cow- 
 
Arlos flashed out his pistol and leveled it at the stranger. Page 145. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 145 
 
 ard ; your looks show that. Neither of us is afraid 
 of you, and if you think we are why don't you 
 begin business?" 
 
 Something just then trickled from the point of 
 the huge nose. The fellow put up his hand and saw 
 that it was blood, the effects of the slight wound 
 from Ra-lo-no's knife. 
 
 The discovery seemed to fill him to overflowing 
 with fury. He snatched his revolver from its 
 sheath. 
 
 " The chap that gives me a hurt, even if it's no 
 more than a scratch, has got to pass in his checks ; 
 redskin, say your prayers !" 
 
 As firm, defiant, and resolute as a marble statue 
 the young Shoshone confronted the wretch, his only 
 weapon firmly clasped in hand, and his broad, 
 honest face without a trace of fear, though he must 
 have known that his life hung by a thread. 
 
 But before the man could bring his weapon to 
 bear, Arlos Hay man had flashed out his own and 
 leveled it at him. 
 
 " The moment you sight that pistol, I fire !" 
 
 The fellow turned his face and saw the revolver 
 of the youth pointed straight at his head. In other 
 words, Arlos "had the drop on him,'- and the 
 scoundrel knew it. 
 
 This put a different face on matters. When a 
 
146 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 man, with ordinary sense knows that a hostile 
 movement on his part means certain death, he is 
 not likely to make the movement. A postpone- 
 ment is in order. 
 
 " Things ain't jes' exactly as I thort," he growled 
 with a leer. " I'll leave this quarrel to be settled 
 later; younker, don't forgit that it's atween you 
 and me, with the redskin throwed in to make good 
 weight." 
 
 " I won't forget it ; and now if you don't take 
 yourself off, I'll shoot, anyway !" 
 
 "My name is Yal Harper; I'll see you agin. 
 Meanwhile, I'll take this meat along." 
 
 "Lay your hand on that antelope and I'll blow 
 your brains out !" 
 
 The only recourse the " bad man " possessed was 
 his tongue, which gave out a number of sulphurous 
 expletives. But the wretch saw he was " catched 
 foul," as he expressed it. 
 
 He glared first at one and then at the other, as if 
 looking for a chance to turn the tables, but there 
 was none. He wheeled about and slouched off 
 toward the point whence he came. 
 
 The moment he stirred Ra-lo-no made a quick 
 step to the side of Arlos and caught up his Win- 
 chester. In a flash it was pointed at the back of 
 the desperado. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 147 
 
 Arlos thought he meant to shoot, and he was so 
 angry with the wretch that he offered no protest, 
 though he dreaded to see a man struck down in 
 such fashion. 
 
 But the Shoshone merely meant to hold him 
 covered, against contingencies. It was well he did 
 so, for Yal Harper had not taken twenty steps 
 when he whirled like lightning, and brought his 
 rifle to his shoulder. Had he caught the youths off 
 their guard, he would have shot both. 
 
 But he saw the hated redskin with the weapon 
 leveled. He had only to press the trigger to bore 
 the other through with the bullet. Once more the 
 " drop " was on him, and with a muttered oath he 
 faced the other way and resumed his slouchy retreat. 
 
 Ra-lo-no held his position, and his old smile came 
 back to his broad face. He must have been strongly 
 tempted to fire, and it was greatly to his credit 
 that he did not, when he knew he was sparing the 
 life of a man who would have shot him down as 
 quickly as if he were a wild beast, had the chance 
 presented itself. 
 
 A second time the desperado looked back, but his 
 glance was only a partial one, and he did not seek 
 to use his gun, for he saw that which he expected, 
 and knew well what the result of such action would 
 be to himself. 
 
148 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 That the American Indian sometimes possesses 
 a vein of waggishness was proved by the young 
 Shoshone, who, at the moment that the " bad man " 
 had reached a point a considerable distance off and 
 was about to disappear from sight, let fly with 
 Arlos Hay man's Winchester. 
 
 But he did not shoot to kill. He sent the bullet 
 into the calf of the " bad man's " leg, producing a 
 sharp sting, but only a trifling wound. Yal Harper 
 emitted a yell which could have been heard a mile, 
 and leaping into the air, broke into a frantic run, 
 which quickly carried him beyond sight. 
 
 Several things astonished Arlos Hayman. The 
 moment the Shoshone fired he slid another cartridge 
 into the cylinder, doing it with a facility which 
 proved he was accustomed to handling the improved 
 weapon. Then, when the terrified desperado broke 
 into a run, Ra-lo-no lowered his gun and bent 
 double with laughter, which rang out as loudly as 
 it ever came from the throat of a civilized human 
 being. 
 
 His mirth was so contagious that Arlos could not 
 restrain himself, but sitting on the ground was 
 shaken from head to foot. 
 
 Had Yal Harper turned at that moment he could 
 not have asked a better opportunity to balance 
 matters ; but he had not yet got over his panic, 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 149 
 
 and probably kept up his flight for some minutes 
 longer. Sometimes a man makes a serious blunder. 
 Yal Harper had done something of that nature when 
 he bore down on the two youths. 
 
 Now that the incident had passed Arlos felt 
 something in the nature of reaction. He recalled 
 the warning of Budd Slogan, and knew that the 
 man whom they had encountered was one of the 
 party that was to be avoided. 
 
 Arlos would have kept out of his way had it been 
 practicable, but, as will be recalled, the other was 
 upon them before they had any thought of his 
 presence. The meeting had been unavoidable, and 
 the youth hoped that that was the last of him, 
 though the feeling was strong that more serious 
 trouble was yet to come. 
 
 But Ea-lo-no took everything with a coolness and 
 indifference not surpassed by any veteran of his 
 race. Having recovered from his spasm of merri- 
 ment, he cut a couple of goodly slices from the 
 carcass of the antelope, and then signified to his 
 friend that they would prepare their dinner some- 
 where else. 
 
 Arlos commended this precaution, for he was 
 convinced that the baffled desperado would make 
 a stealthy return to the spot in the hope of gaining 
 a shot at one or both, 
 
150 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The Shoshone turned down the valley, walking 
 briskly until some distance beyond the waterfall. 
 Then he made another turn, finally halting in a 
 place where the rocks screened them from observ- 
 ation. 
 
 Here, too, was considerable driftwood scattered 
 about, and laying the meat on the flat surface of the 
 stone, he busied himself in gathering fuel, in which 
 task Arlos gave assistance. 
 
 When sufficient had been collected the latter held 
 back to see what means his friend had for starting 
 the blaze. To his astonishment the Indian brought 
 out a rubber safe from his pocket, from which he 
 took a match, drew it along the rough bottom, and 
 in a twinkling had the fire under headway. 
 
 " This young man is civilized," Arlos concluded ; 
 " he wears much the same clothing as I, and perhaps 
 in his home possesses the same conveniences. I 
 didn't know they managed things so well on the 
 reservations." 
 
 He left the preparation of the meat to Ea-lo-no, 
 and Budd Slogan himself could not have done it 
 more skillfully. The Shoshone waited until suffi- 
 cient coals were formed, when he raked them out 
 and dropped the meat upon them. Others might 
 have preferred to skewer them with green twigs 
 and hold them in front of the blaze, but the other 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 151 
 
 was the quickest way, despite the risk of ashes and 
 dirt. 
 
 The last mouthful was hardly swallowed when 
 Ea-lo-no uttered an exclamation and pointed toward 
 the higher ground beyond the falls, where the an- 
 telope had been shot. There in plain sight was 
 Yal Harper, his body in a stooping posture, while 
 he glared from right to left underneath his som- 
 brero as he stealthily advanced, his whole manner 
 showing that his intention was to close up the un- 
 settled account between him and the two youths 
 who had used him so ill. 
 
162 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEK XIII. 
 
 THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY. 
 
 SINCE Yal Harper was in plain view he was sure 
 to see the boys who were watching his actions. 
 Indeed, the smoke of their fire would have revealed 
 them before had he gazed in that direction, but 
 evidently he expected to find them near the spot 
 where he had had his disappointing meeting. 
 
 When he learned they were not there he straight- 
 ened up and looked around. 
 
 Instead of stooping or trying to hide themselves, 
 both Arlos and Ea-lo-no also stood up, so that he 
 would be sure to see them. Not only that, but the 
 former took off his hat and made a mock salutation 
 to the " bad man." 
 
 The latter stared at them, as if unable to do jus- 
 tice to his feelings. What he said can never be 
 knoAvn, because he was too far off for his words to 
 be heard, but having satisfied himself that his eyes 
 did not deceive him, he once more turned and 
 passed from sight. 
 
 And again the young Shoshone bent over and 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 153 
 
 gave vent to his merriment. The whole thing was 
 an irresistible comedy to him. Arlos also laughed, 
 but he could not feel quite so mirthful. 
 
 He knew they had made a mortal enemy, who 
 would neglect no means of revenging himself upon 
 them ; and since both youths expected to spend an 
 indefinite period in the neighborhood, it was more 
 than likely that the comedy sooner or later would 
 be turned into a tragedy. 
 
 It was past noon, as a glance at his watch 
 showed. When Arlos took out the timepiece the 
 Shoshone looked at it so curiously that the owner 
 unfastened the chain and handed it to him. 
 
 The Indian took it rather gingerly, looked at the 
 face, grinned at the second hand jogging round the 
 smaller circle, held the case to his ear, and then 
 studied the hour and minute hand with the gravest 
 of countenances. 
 
 " I wonder whether he has any idea of its use," 
 was the thought of Arlos ; " or he may be aston- 
 ished that it kept going while in the water." 
 
 The hands showed that it was nearly one o'clock 
 in the afternoon. Suddenly Ra-lo-no looked at the 
 sun, which of course had passed meridian, and then 
 down again at the watch. This was done several 
 times, after which he grinned in his usual over- 
 whelming fashion. 
 
154 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 He pointed at the sun, then at the timepiece, 
 nodded his head half a dozen times, and placed the 
 point of his finger on the crystal. 
 
 " Yes, he knows all about it ! I don't doubt that 
 if he understood English he could tell the exact 
 minute by the watch, though his people don't need 
 timepieces when the sun shines." 
 
 Having satisfied himself Ra-lo-no handed back 
 the watch with an inclination of his head and sev- 
 eral words uttered in his low, musical voice, which 
 were doubtless meant for thanks. 
 
 The next action of the dusky youth showed he 
 intended to part company with Arlos, who was as 
 much surprised as disappointed, for he had expected 
 to have his help in hunting Dolph Bushkirk. 
 
 His gestures and words were profuse. He pointed 
 to the north and made as if to start in that direc- 
 tion. "When Arlos arose to go with him he stopped 
 and motioned him to remain. They were to sepa- 
 rate : of that there was no question. 
 
 Convinced of this, Arlos took the blanket from 
 his shoulders and handed it to his companion, who 
 shook his head to signify he did not wish it. Arlos 
 insisted, intimating as well as he could that he was 
 the owner of a similar garment, and now that his 
 clothing was dry he had no use for it. 
 
 Then Ka-lo-no brought out the pocket-knife and 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 155 
 
 tendered it to his friend, who declined to take it. 
 The implement was a gift, the blanket a loan. 
 
 The Shoshone spent several minutes arguing as 
 best he could, but Arlos was inflexible. Finally 
 the Shoshone replaced the knife in his pocket, slung 
 the blanket about his body so that it inclosed one 
 shoulder, and turned to leave. 
 
 As he did so he offered his hand to his paleface 
 friend, pointed to the sky, and seemed to be trying 
 to say that he would soon meet him again. At 
 least that was what Arlos believed was his mean- 
 ing, and subsequent events confirmed this be- 
 lief. 
 
 Then the dusky fellow strode off down the valley. 
 Arlos gazed after him until he entered the gorge 
 which had been the scene of the cloudburst, and 
 disappeared from sight, never having once looked 
 back at the one who was watching him with so 
 much interest. 
 
 " It must be that he leaves because of some order 
 from his parent or some person in authority. I be- 
 lieve the Indians are very strict in exacting obedi- 
 ence from their children, and Ka-lo-no is more 
 afraid of offending his father than he is of a dozen 
 Yal Harpers. He has gone to keep his promise, but 
 I am much mistaken if I do not meet him before 
 many days. I shall hope so, for he is a very inter- 
 
156 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 esting fellow, and I shall always be grateful for 
 what he has done for me. 
 
 " I wonder if when he was looking at my watch 
 he wasn't trying to tell me that the time had come 
 when he must go elsewhere." 
 
 Left to himself, Arlos had to decide upon his 
 own course of action. He had no idea where Budd 
 Slogan was, and he was not likely to see him before 
 nightfall, when, if all went well, they would meet 
 at the bowlders down the valley. 
 
 Inasmuch as a goodly number of hours of daylight 
 remained, he was eager to turn them to account by 
 pressing his search for Dolph Bushkirk. 
 
 But whither should he direct his footsteps ? His 
 impression was that he was somewhere to the north- 
 ward, and yet his friend in all probability had 
 changed his position, and a hunt might be pushed 
 for weeks without success. 
 
 Standing thus, trying to solve the perplexing 
 problem, Arlos looked to the towering mountains, 
 whose summits were in the direction of the setting 
 sun. The crests were mantled with snow, and here 
 and there along the sides below stunted trees were 
 growing, but he discerned no grove as dense as 
 that in which he had met the grizzly bear the pre- 
 ceding day. 
 
 From a clump of pines, however, he observed a 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 157 
 
 column of smoke, which recalled that which so 
 interested Budd Slogan when they were entering 
 this section. 
 
 Arlos drew out his glass and leveled it in the 
 direction of the vapor, but the instrument gave him 
 little help. The smoke showed more distinctly, 
 but if there were men gathered about the camp- 
 fire he could not detect the first evidence that such 
 was the case. 
 
 There was enough vegetation to hide them from 
 sight, but in the hope that some member of the 
 party would disclose himself, Arlos kept the spot 
 under surveillance for fifteen or twenty minutes, 
 without, however, any success. 
 
 " Now can it be that Dolph Bushkirk and Yarnum 
 Brown have started that fire ; and if they did, are 
 they in the neighborhood ?" he reasoned. " Isn't it 
 more likely that some of Yal Harper's party are 
 there ? If so, I don't want to get any nearer. 
 
 The campfire was fully a mile away, and so far 
 up the mountain that it required a long and labo- 
 rious climb to reach it. That, however, was no 
 obstacle to the youth, who welcomed that sort of 
 exertion ; but he could not forget the warning of 
 the guide concerning the desperate gang in the 
 neighborhood. If Arlos should pass into their lines, 
 as it may be expressed, he could hardly escape dis- 
 
158 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 covery, in which event serious consequences were 
 certain to ensue. 
 
 He was inclined to fire his gun as a recall to 
 Budd, who, it is fair to presume, would not have 
 left him had he known that the young Shoshone 
 would do the same before completing the search for 
 the other couple. 
 
 But a natural reluctance prevented Arlos carry- 
 ing out his first intention. He reasoned that Budd 
 must have had a good cause for his action, and to 
 turn him aside from it was likely to interfere with 
 important plans. 
 
 " I'll take the chances," he said, after a little 
 further thought ; " there is some one among those 
 trees that's certain." 
 
 This conclusion was caused by a change in the 
 appearance of the smoke ascending from the camp- 
 fire. When it first caught his eye it was thin and 
 whitish in color. But it was now darker and denser, 
 indicating that additional fuel had been thrown on 
 the blaze. 
 
 There was the possibility that it was a signal to 
 some other party, though if such was the fact a 
 much greater change in the smoke would be shown. 
 It would have been wavy and broken, such varia- 
 tions being easily made by the Indians when signal- 
 ing to distant friends. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 159 
 
 Having decided to learn all about the camp on 
 the mountain side, Arlos set out to do so. The 
 knowledge that enemies were in the section, and 
 that he was likely to run across them any moment, 
 made him unusually circumspect. 
 
 He took advantage of all the cover and protec- 
 tion possible while stealing forward. The numerous 
 rocks and bowlders gave great help, but he often 
 reflected in passing between many of the piles and 
 through narrow passages, that he was completely 
 at the mercy of any foe who used one-half the care 
 that he did. 
 
 When the greater part of the distance was passed 
 he heard the report of a rifle, followed a few 
 moments later by another, and then by a couple 
 more. 
 
 All came from a point so far to the left that none 
 of the guns could have been fired in the grove which 
 was his destination. 
 
 The first report caused him to stop and listen, 
 under the impression that it might have been made 
 by Budd Slogan's Winchester ; but, if such was the 
 fact, it was not a signal, and Arlos did not feel 
 called upon to investigate. 
 
 He had started to solve the mystery of the camp, 
 whose smoke was in full view, filtering among the 
 treetops. It was not so dark and thick as a brief 
 
160 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 while before, a fact which confirmed his belief that 
 it had not been meant for a signal. 
 
 So guarded were the movements of the youth that 
 the afternoon was half gone when he reached the 
 edge of the grove which possessed so much interest 
 for him. He observed that the pines not only grew 
 close together, but the broken ground was choked 
 with undergrowth, which shut out all view of the 
 fire. 
 
 He could not be too careful in picking his way 
 through the natural obstruction, for the least slip 
 would warn the men, if they were Indians, who 
 never lose their alertness and vigilance. If the 
 strangers were members of Val Harper's party, as 
 Arlos believed, they would be hardly less watchful, 
 since they must be aware that they had made 
 enemies of the Shoshones. 
 
 Kifle in hand, the youth advanced step by step, 
 parting the undergrowth, peering from behind each 
 tree as he reached it, and scrutinizing the ground 
 immediately in front before resting his feet upon it. 
 
 He was near enough to catch the glow of the 
 blaze upon the limbs above and to hear the murmur 
 of voices, when he was startled by the sound of 
 some one behind him. A person was approaching 
 the camp, but with a haste and carelessness which 
 proved he was a friend to those in front. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 161 
 
 Without pausing to look back, Arlos crouched to 
 the ground and slipped around the base of a pine, so 
 as to interpose it between himself and the new- 
 comer. 
 
 The youth was not a moment too soon in doing 
 this. The rustling of the undergrowth came nearer 
 and almost immediately the figure of a person ap- 
 peared, striding impatiently forward. The furtive 
 glimpse which Arlos caught of him revealed Val 
 Harper, the " bad man." 
 
 It seemed certain that he would discover the 
 crouching figure of the youth, since his course led 
 him within a couple of yards of where the latter 
 was seeking to hide himself without the ability to 
 do so, for the trunk of the pine was not large 
 enough to screen one-half of his body. 
 
 Believing detection inevitable, Arlos placed his 
 hand on his revolver, determined to show a defiant 
 front, even though the chances were a hundredfold 
 against him. 
 
 But Yal Harper's attention was wholly centered 
 upon the camp a little beyond. He was impatient, 
 taking angry strides, with his eyes set to the front 
 and not looking to the right or left. A few seconds 
 carried him so far that Arlos, peeping from behind 
 the pine, saw only his back. Twenty yards further 
 and the man arrived at the camp. 
 
162 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Now that he had ascertained the state of things^ 
 prudence suggested to the eavesdropper to with- 
 draw, without risking himself further. Neither 
 Dolph Bushkirk nor Yarnum Brown was in the 
 grove, nor were any of the Shoshones there ; the 
 party must be all or a portion of those against 
 whom Budd Slogan had warned his young friend. 
 
 Arlos held several minutes' debate with himself. 
 It may have been that he possessed a little more 
 than his share of curiosity, for he decided to secure 
 a fuller view of the company before withdrawing 
 from the grove. Advancing, therefore, with the 
 same care he had shown from the first, he finally 
 reached a point which gave him the coveted sight. 
 
 Four of the most villainous-looking men were 
 seated around a small fire, all smoking, for Yal 
 Harper had no sooner come up than he lit his pipe 
 and took his seat among them. 
 
 Their appearance and manner showed they were 
 discussing some subject of deep interest to all. 
 They made numerous gestures, shook their heads, 
 and two of them rose to their feet, as if to gain 
 more freedom for swinging their arms. 
 
 Their rifles rested against the trees near them, 
 and from the appearance of the camp the three 
 had evidently eaten their midday meal on the spot. 
 Probably they were out for game when Yal Harper 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 163 
 
 undertook to confiscate the antelope shot by the 
 young Shoshone. 
 
 It was proof that the wound caused by lla-lo-no's 
 shot was little more than a scratch, for the des- 
 perado showed not the least effects from it. He 
 walked with his usual step, and the leg had not 
 been bandaged or doctored in any way. 
 
 Arlos. however, could not forbear a smile when 
 the position of the fellow allowed the firelight to 
 fall fairly upon his countenance, and he observed 
 the swelling of the large nose that had been pricked 
 by the hunting knife of the young Shoshone. The 
 scamp had received a memento of that meeting 
 which he was certain to carry for several days. 
 
 It occurred to Arlos that if he could get a little 
 nearer he might overhear the conversation of the 
 men, who were talking in careless tones. Their 
 words were certain to be of importance to him and 
 Budd, and he cautiously advanced several steps. 
 
 Then his sense and discretion warned him it 
 would not do to go any further. He was certain to 
 be discovered, and could expect no consideration at 
 the hands of the four, one of whom had already 
 proven his treacherous disposition. 
 
 It was exasperating to the young hunter that he 
 should be thus baffled when on the threshold of 
 success. He was actually near enough to hear 
 
164 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 himself referred to by Yal Harper, who at the 
 moment was standing before his comrades, swing- 
 ing his arms and hurling expletives right and left ; 
 but it was to the credit of the youth that he held 
 back, without being able to catch a connected sen- 
 tence or gain any idea of what the man was saying. 
 
 Not only did Arlos check his advance, but he 
 carefully retreated until in a position where he was 
 sure of not being seen, except through some unex- 
 pected occurrence. 
 
 "Whatever the theme of dispute, the violent dis- 
 cussion speedily ended. Yal Harper resumed his 
 seat on the ground and puffed vigorously at his 
 pipe, which had received so little attention that it 
 went out. 
 
 He drew a burning stick from the fire and held 
 one end over the bowl until the tobacco was lighted, 
 when he flung it away and leaned back against a 
 tree without speaking, nor did he utter a word for 
 the next five minutes. Apparently he had ex- 
 hausted his reserve of argument. 
 
 One of his companions spoke a few sentences and 
 then subsided, the others having already done so. 
 The business of the meeting was finished and all 
 was ready for adjournment. 
 
 It came sooner than Arlos Hayman expected. 
 As if with one accord, the four men rose to their 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 165 
 
 feet, grasped their rifles, and strode out of the 
 grove, fortunately for the watcher taking a course 
 which led away from him. It was a singular picture, 
 for the whole party, so far as Arlos could ascertain, 
 did not open their lips. 
 
 Hardly waiting for them to disappear, the youth 
 hurried between the trees and through the grove to 
 the other side, his course taking him directly past 
 the campfire where the others were grouped a 
 minute before. 
 
 On the edge of the timber he peered out, but 
 brief as was the interval, failed to observe any one 
 of them. They had vanished among the rocks. 
 
 " They can't be far off and I will keep track of 
 them " 
 
 It was a brave resolution, but it received a sudden 
 damper through the discovery that a man was within 
 two or three paces of where he stood with his eyes 
 fixed upon him. 
 
166 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIY. 
 
 A TRAGEDY. 
 
 IT was a slight chuckle which checked Arlos 
 Hayraan as suddenly as if about to step upon a 
 coiled rattlesnake. It came from a point on his 
 left, and, turning his head, he saw the figure of 
 Budd Slogan grinning at him. 
 
 " Where under the sun did you come from ?" asked 
 the pleased youth in an undertone. 
 
 " Which the same I might ask of yourself, 
 younker." 
 
 "I've been watching the four fellows who just 
 left the grove." 
 
 " So have I." 
 
 " Did you know I was here ?" 
 
 " Eeckon I did, younker." 
 
 " But how could that be when I was on the other 
 side of the camp, where none of them discovered 
 me?" 
 
 " That's 'cause they warn't looking for you. I 
 sneaked in among the trees from this side and was 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 167 
 
 studying them as close as I could, when something 
 showed behind a pine over yonder. It was in a 
 line with the camp, so I seen it without trying. It 
 didn't take me long to observe that it was the edge 
 of a hat rim, which the same I knowed belonged to 
 a sartin tenderfoot that I've charge of just now. 
 I s'posed the Shoshone was with you ; what's be- 
 come of him?" 
 
 Arlos told the story of their separation, adding : 
 
 " I suspect that he had been ordered to join his 
 people about that time and therefore had to go." 
 
 " Most likely that's just what the matter was ; 
 you'll see him agin, howsumever." 
 
 "I hope so, for I have formed an attachment 
 for him." 
 
 " Don't be in too much of a hurry, younker. I'll 
 own that he seems to be a purty decent sort of a 
 redskin, and if he was left to himself he might grow 
 into a gentleman as can be trusted, but don't forgit 
 he has gone back to his people, and there's no 
 saying what devilments they will put into his head. 
 If when he shows hisself agin, he continners to act 
 squar', why it may be safe to conclude he'll do." 
 
 " But, Budd, what about these white men ? It 
 seems we have more to fear from them than from 
 the Shoshones." 
 
 " Correct they're a bad lot all the way through." 
 
168 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " Are there any beside the four who left a few 
 minutes ago ?" 
 
 "Yas, there are seven that I'm sartin of, and 
 maybe more are scattered among the mountains; 
 some of 'em are horse thieves, two are counterfeiters, 
 and one Yal Harper would be lynched inside of 
 five minutes if he was in Cheyenne. He shot an 
 innocent old man there in cold blood and got out 
 of town in the night on the back of a stolen pony, 
 while the mob was hunting for him. As for horse 
 stealing, burglary, and robbing trains, he has been 
 at it for years." 
 
 " Yal Harper ?" repeated Arlos. " He was the 
 fellow that tried to scare Ka-lo-no and me." 
 
 "Tried to scare you?" repeated Budd. "Didn't 
 he do it?" 
 
 "Not as much as the Shoshone frightened him." 
 
 " How was that ?" 
 
 Arlos related the incident which is already familar 
 to the reader. The guide was so pleased that he 
 shook with silent laughter. 
 
 " That's the best thing that has happened since 
 I fell off the Union Pacific train an account of 
 giving too much attention to my thirst, and rolled 
 down a forty-foot bank and had my head broke ; 
 but it shows what I've always said, that them ' bad 
 men,' as they like to call themselves, is a passel of 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 169 
 
 cowards that you can bluff out of their boots. Yal 
 Harper desarves hanging seventeen times over, and 
 he come nearer passing in his checks five minutes 
 ago than he ever dreamed of. Do you know, 
 younker," added the hunter, " that it was in my 
 mind to sneak round to where I thought you and 
 the Shoshone was, and fix things so as to wipe out 
 Val and one of the scamps at the first fire, and to 
 drop the others afore they could know what was 
 the matter? Only one thing prevented me doing 
 of the same." 
 
 "What was that?" 
 
 " I was afeard you'd flunk, being as you don't 
 like that style of bus'ness." 
 
 " You were right ; it's a dreadful thing to shoot 
 a person, and I shall never do it unless to save my 
 life or that of some friend." 
 
 "Don't know but what you're right, purvided you 
 leave Yal Harper out of the calc'latins." 
 
 " You were closer to the camp than I ; did you 
 overhear what they said ?" 
 
 " I catched a good deal of it enough to know 
 what they was driving at." 
 
 "What was it?" 
 
 " I reckon from what Yal Harper said that the 
 Shoshones have separated into two or three parties, 
 and he thinks there's a good chance to wipe 'em all 
 
170 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 out. He was try in' to persuade 'em to do it, but 
 Jim "Wagram was in favor of waiting till night, 
 when he b'lieved they'd have a better show, but 
 Yal he insisted that the Shoshones would be in 
 camp all together, with their guards set, and they 
 wouldn't have half the show. He won 'em over to 
 his way of thinking. I obsarved that he spoke of a 
 young kid and a redskin youth which the same 
 must have been you and your Shoshone friend." 
 
 " Undoubtedly ; I heard a part of that. But, 
 Budd, ought we to stand here talking, when they 
 are going to slay those poor Indians ?" 
 
 "They haven't slayed 'em yet, I reckon," replied 
 the guide with a grin. 
 
 " But they will do so, unless the Shoshones are 
 warned." 
 
 "Don't you worry, younker. Yal Harper and 
 his gang never made a bigger mistake than when 
 they made enemies of them same Shoshones, when 
 they could just as well have been friends to 'em. 
 The redskins are on their own tramping grounds, 
 where they kin fight better than any white men. 
 I calc'late as how Yal and the rest will find a sur- 
 prise party waiting for 'em there they go !" 
 
 At that moment the crash of rifle shots was 
 heard. Fully a score of guns were fired at no great 
 distance to the south, the very direction taken by 
 
LOSt IN THE ROCKIES. 171 
 
 the four men when they left the grove a short time 
 before, 
 
 " We might as well see the fun," coolly remarked 
 Budd Slogan, turning about and striding after them, 
 with the excited Arlos at his heels. 
 
 They had not far to pick their way through the 
 rocks when they reached the scene of the encounter. 
 
 An impressive feature of the contest was its 
 suddenness and brevity. One moment all was 
 silence, and the two friends were talking together ; 
 the next came the spiteful rifle reports, all fired 
 within the space of a few seconds, and then perfect 
 silence again. The conflict was short, sharp, and 
 decisive. 
 
 Emerging from one of the rockiest portions of 
 the mountain slope, the two came upon a grove 
 similar to that which they had just left. The re- 
 semblance was the closer because of the smoke of a 
 campfire which was discerned rising through the 
 tree tops. 
 
 Arlos instinctively paused, and his companion 
 looked inquiringly around. 
 
 " What's the matter ?" the youth asked in an 
 undertone. 
 
 "We must be careful. If tha Indians see us they 
 will think we belong to the same party, and open 
 fire." 
 
172 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " You're a sensible younker, but there's no dan- 
 ger. I've met two or three of the Shoshones and 
 they know me. That friend of yours I s'pose is 
 with ? em." 
 
 " He may not be. He took another course." 
 
 "Eight in there," said Budd, indicating the 
 grove, " is where they had the rumpus. Come on." 
 
 A few steps further and they came upon a 
 striking scene. 
 
 A small campfire was burning at the foot of a 
 large tree. A few feet beyond a white man lay 
 stretched on the ground, desperately, if not mortally, 
 wounded. Kneeling at his side, and partly sup- 
 porting his head was a young Indian woman, who, 
 seeing the two approach, extended her hand as if to 
 ask for help. 
 
 " What does it mean ?" asked Arlos, spellbound 
 by the sight. 
 
 u I'm blessed if I understand it," replied Budd, as 
 the two paused for a moment and looked at the 
 figures ; " but I'm going to find out." 
 
 With that he walked forward, Arlos close behind 
 him. As they came up, it was seen that the Indian 
 was little more than a girl. Something in her face 
 recalled Ra-lo-no, and the suspicion flashed upon 
 Arlos that she was the sister of his friend. 
 
 But what was she doing here, seeking to comfort 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 173 
 
 a white man, who was the deadly enemy of her and 
 her people ? 
 
 His first thought was that the wounded person 
 was Yal Harper, but a glance at his countenance 
 showed that such was not the fact. He was one of 
 the four that Arlos had seen around the campfire, 
 and was a stranger to the youth. 
 
 " It's Jim Wagram," said Budd, " and he's got it 
 bad." 
 
 It was plain that the four white men had counted 
 upon surprising a party of Shoshones in the grove, 
 but were in turn surprised. There had been a fierce 
 interchange of shots, and then the three assailants 
 fled, abandoning their companion and probably 
 carrying away some wounds with them. 
 
 What execution had been done among the Indians 
 remained to be seen, for if any of their number had 
 fallen they were carried off. The comely Indian 
 girl, yielding to a pity natural to her sex, had run 
 forward to aid the sufferer, which suggested that 
 her own people had escaped harm. 
 
 "While these thoughts were passing through Arlos' 
 mind, his companion was holding a conversation 
 with the girl. 
 
 " Injuns is queer animals," he remarked, turning 
 to Arlos; "this gal is Ko-mo-mo, the sister of Ha- 
 lo-no. She and seven or eight of her people had 
 
174 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 halted in this grove several hours ago, but didn't 
 start the fire till long afterward, which is why you 
 didn't see it. While they was a-sitting there, 
 smoking their pipes, one of 'em seen the four men 
 coming and knowed what it meant. So they laid 
 for 'em. As I remarked previous, Yal Harper and 
 his gang found a s'prise party waiting for 'em. Just 
 as they was ready to fire the Shoshones opened on 
 'em one result being what you see there," he added 
 indicating by a nod of the head the figure on the 
 ground. 
 
 " Was Ea-lo-no with them ?" 
 
 " No, nor her father, the medicine man ; if either 
 of 'em had been, he wouldn't have let her stay 
 behind to help him." 
 
 " She has a heart like her brother," said Arlos, 
 who could not help pitying him who was stretched 
 on his back and evidently close to death. 
 
 The two knelt beside the fellow to see whether 
 they could do anything for him. 
 
 " Wai, Jim, I'm afeard you've been hit hard," said 
 Budd sympathetically. 
 
 The stricken wretch did not move a muscle, ex- 
 cept to turn his eyes upon the man who had thus 
 addressed him, and was leaning forward with 
 his face close to his own. A faint smile wrinkled 
 the pale countenance, and he said in a whisper : 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 175 
 
 " Is that you, Budd ?" 
 
 "Yes; kin I do anything for you?" 
 
 " No ; I've got to pass in my checks. " 
 
 " Was any of the rest hurt ?" 
 
 " Dunno guess not we make a mess of it, but I 
 didn't think the boys would leave me like this.'' 
 
 " It's best they did, for this poor girl that you 
 and them wanted to shoot, is kinder than any of 
 'em ever would be." 
 
 6 *I guess so ' ' 
 
 A faint twitch wrinkled his face, and he was 
 dead. 
 
 For several minutes no one spoke. All three 
 looked into the countenance whose repellent features 
 had been softened by the touch of the destroyer 
 which sooner or later must come to us all. Even 
 though he had been among the worst of men, he 
 had now crossed the " great divide," and it was im- 
 possible not to feel a glow of sympathy for the 
 miserable being thus cut off in the midst of his 
 crimes. 
 
 Then Budd Slogan and Arlos Hayman rose to 
 their feet, still looking down into the face with its 
 half-closed eyes. Ko-mo-mo gazed wonderingly 
 around, and then she took her place beside them. 
 The youth was the first to speak, his voice softened 
 by the solemn environments. 
 
176 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 "Is there still nothing to be done for him?" 
 
 "Nothing at all," replied Bud, who knew his 
 young friend was thinking of burial. 
 
 "Must he be left here?" 
 
 " That's what we'll have to do. What difference 
 does it make whether he's six feet under the ground 
 or on top ?" 
 
 " None, I suppose, though if we had implements 
 I would willingly help dig a grave." 
 
 The guide shook his head. 
 
 " It ain't to be thought of. He's only himself to 
 blame ; but, bad as Jim was, I'm sorry it ain't Yal 
 Harper that's laying there." 
 
 Ko-mo-mo suddenly laid her hand on Budd's arm 
 and uttered something in her own tongue. She was 
 looking not at him or Arlos, but at a point beyond 
 them. 
 
 Her keen hearing had caught the approach of 
 some one who was now in sight. 
 
 Turning their heads, the two saw a tall, finely- 
 formed Shoshone warrior standing motionless a few 
 yards away, rifle in hand, and looking steadily at 
 the group, as if to learn what it all meant. 
 
 AsBudd saw his face he raised his hand and made 
 a sign of comity. The Shoshone was one of the 
 three whom he had met earlier in the day, and an 
 understanding had been established between them. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 177 
 
 He returned the sign and came forward, with a 
 friendly nod to both the man and the youth. Then 
 he turned upon Ko-mo-mo and uttered some vigorous 
 expressions. 
 
 The listening Budd smiled, for he understood it 
 all. In the flurry of the fight the absence of the 
 girl had not been noticed until after the withdrawal 
 of the Shoshone party. Then one of the warriors 
 was sent for her. 
 
 It was known that she was not hurt, and the flight 
 of the white men was too precipitate to take her 
 prisoner. Probably a suspicion of the true reason 
 for her lingering behind was in the mind of the 
 buck before he presented himself and called her to 
 account. 
 
 That Ko-mo-mo had a mind of her own was 
 shown by the spirited replies she made to the one 
 who was neither her father nor a relative. She 
 hated the white man when he was trying to harm 
 her people, but the moment he was stricken down 
 it was her duty to give him all the aid she could. 
 
 The most crushing rejoinder the warrior could 
 make was the promise to tell her father, the great 
 Wau-mak, medicine man of the Shoshones, with 
 whom he would leave her to settle the account. 
 Instantly she became silent. She would not dare to 
 talk to him as she did to this man. He might pun- 
 
178 LOSt IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 ish her cruelly. Her manifest fear called to mind 
 the hurried departure of her brother, as Arlos be- 
 lieved, in obedience to previous orders of the stern 
 parent. 
 
 Budd now opened a conversation with the Indian, 
 who gave him the particulars of the desperate scrim- 
 mage which had taken place as described by the 
 girl. Yal Harper had counted upon a surprise, and 
 a surprise it was, but not to the Shoshones. 
 
 This meeting was a fortunate one for Arlos Hay- 
 man, for it established his footing with the Indian 
 hunting party in the neighborhood. True, he had 
 become a friend of Ra-lo-no, but he was liable to 
 meet others of his people before the youth could 
 explain matters. 
 
 With him and the warrior now present to " go 
 his security," the rest would learn the situation be- 
 fore any of them saw the paleface youth. Budd 
 Slogan had already made his footing secure. 
 Henceforth the only ones to dread while in the 
 mountains were those of their own race. 
 
 While the conversation was going on Ko-mo-mo 
 softly withdrew and started off, taking the course 
 over which the buck had come. He turned his 
 head just a trifle, and glanced at her out of the 
 corner of his eye. He did not smile, but he under- 
 stood her action. She was in a pout because of his 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 179 
 
 words, and had set out to join her friends without 
 his escort. 
 
 Her feelings were so manifest to Arlos that he 
 was amused. Human nature is the same every- 
 where. When a girl becomes angry she is pretty 
 certain to show it. 
 
 But the flash of lightheartedness quickly passed 
 at sight of the inanimate figure at their feet. Arlos 
 noticed that after the first glance he gave the body 
 the Shoshone did not again look at it. 
 
 Although considerable was said by him and Budd 
 Slogan, it occupied but a few minutes. Ko -mo-mo 
 had not yet passed from sight when the Indian 
 hurried after her. The action was a relief to Arlos, 
 who dreaded that she might be seen by one of the 
 white men in the neighborhood, who would not 
 hesitate to do her harm by way of revenge for what 
 they had suffered. 
 
 " This is no place for us," said Budd Slogan. 
 " Let's leave." 
 
 Arlos was glad to do so, for the spot was filled 
 with woeful associations. Instead of following the 
 white men in their flight, the guide led the way 
 back to the grove where the four had held the 
 council that resulted in the death of one of their 
 own number, who was left lying where he fell. 
 
180 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEE XY. 
 
 AN UNPLEASANT DISCOVERY. 
 
 BUDD SLOGAN and Arlos Hayraan did not remain 
 in the grove to which they returned after parting 
 with the Shoshone warrior. The guide directed 
 his steps homeward, that is to the cavern in the 
 rocks where they had left their saddles, bridles, and 
 extra articles. 
 
 One fact had become clear to both : the head- 
 quarters was an inconvenience. They could spend 
 the night in one spot as well as another, and when 
 their wanderings led them a mile and more away, 
 as was the case at the present time, it was a waste of 
 the hours to return thither. 
 
 Budd said they would not go there even now, 
 except for their blankets, which they needed during 
 sleep. 
 
 " We'll bring 'em with us to-morrer," he added, 
 " and not show up there agin for two or three weeks 
 mebbe." 
 
 The night was closing in, and it was not their 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 181 
 
 intention to do anything until the morrow. Budd 
 had eaten nothing since morning, while Arlos, 
 after his dinner with Ea-lo-no, was as hungry as 
 ever. 
 
 While debating whether they should try to secure 
 some game, Budd suggested that they should take 
 a course that would lead them past the spot where 
 the antelope had been shot. This was done, and 
 to their delight they found the carcass just as it 
 had been left, and none the worse for the slight 
 age it had acquired. Liberal portions were cut 
 from it and they continued their walk until their 
 arrival at the spot where the previous night was 
 spent. 
 
 Budd decided to change the manner of keeping 
 watch. 
 
 " I'll take the first half of the night and you the 
 rest. You'll find it easier to stay awake after a 
 good sleep than afore." 
 
 " As you think best, but don't forget I am ready 
 to take my turn." 
 
 " You needn't be afeard," he replied with a grin, 
 " that I won't let you do your part ; this bus'ness is 
 a partnership right through." 
 
 It was yet early in the evening, and as the air 
 was not so cold as the night before, they sat for 
 awhile before the blaze, the guide smoking his pipe 
 
182 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 and recalling, as was his pleasure, some of the stir- 
 ring scenes through which he had passed. 
 
 Finally he said : 
 
 " Now, younker, if you'll fetch out rny blanket, 
 you kin go to sleep, and I'll begin the fun of doing 
 nothing." 
 
 Arlos had become so familiar with the interior of 
 the cavern that he needed no light to help find 
 what he wished. He passed through the broad 
 opening, and stooping over, began groping about for 
 the blankets, which, as he remembered, had been 
 neatly folded and laid to one side. 
 
 He was surprised when he placed his hands on 
 the spot and touched nothing but solid stone. 
 
 " I don't see how they became changed," he 
 mused ; " but Budd may have done it after I put 
 things in order. "Where can they be ?" 
 
 A disquieting suspicion caused him to take out 
 his match-safe and strike one of the lucifers. Hold- 
 ing the tiny blaze above his head, he peered around 
 the space which was fully lit up for a few seconds. 
 
 Not a nook or cranny escaped his keen scrutiny. 
 Flinging down the burning match, he hastened out 
 to where the guide was calmly smoking, with his 
 back against one of the rocks. 
 
 "15iuld, thieves have been here !" 
 
 " What ?" demanded the other, snatching the 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 183 
 
 pipe from between his teeth and staring at the 
 youth. 
 
 " Our saddles, bridles, blankets everything has 
 been stolen !" 
 
 " Wai, by thunder !" muttered Budd Slogan delib- 
 erately, rising to his feet, " are you dead sure that 
 you ain't lying ?" 
 
 " Come and see for yourself if you doubt me." 
 
 " How could you tell in the dark ?" 
 
 " I lit a match ; it told me what I have told you." 
 
 "Then there ain't no use of my going inside; if 
 the things are gone, why they're gone, and that's 
 all there is about it." 
 
 Budd Slogan showed no excitement after the 
 first moment, but it was not because he was insen- 
 sible of the loss they had suffered. He was mad 
 "clean through." There could be no mistake as to 
 the identity of the thieves. They belonged to Yai 
 Harper's gang, and no doubt the leader himself had 
 a hand in the crime. 
 
 The loss of the saddles and bridles implied more, 
 for what could the outlaws want of the articles ex- 
 cept to put them to the use for which they were 
 always intended ? In other words they had stolen, 
 or intended to steal, the two ponies, which, when last 
 seen, were contentedly cropping the grass in the 
 valley. 
 
184 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Horse stealing on the frontier ranks as the high- 
 est capital crime, whose punishment is often severer 
 than that meted out for taking the life of a human 
 being. Could Budd Slogan have been able to draw 
 bead on the thief he would have taken more 
 delight in shooting him down than in slaying a 
 ravening grizzly bear. 
 
 Arlos Hay man was at his wits' end. The crisis 
 was for the guide to handle, and he stood silently 
 watching him until he made known his decision. 
 
 The action of the veteran was peculiar. His rifle 
 was leaning against the face of the rock, and his 
 hands were free. He folded his arms, slung one 
 foot round in front of the other, so that only his 
 back touched the bowlder, bent his head, and seemed 
 to be looking into the blaze, while his thoughts were 
 far away. Occasionally a slight puff of smoke came 
 from between his lips, the action being mechanical, 
 and for fully five minutes he did not stir or speak. 
 
 Suddenly he called in his wandering fancies, and 
 turned his eyes upon the youth, who noted their 
 threatening glitter. 
 
 ' Younker," said he in a sharp, brusque voice, " !. 
 you afraid to be left alone ?" 
 
 " Haven't I proved that I am not?" 
 
 " Yes, you have ; wal, I'm going to leave you 
 alone." 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 185 
 
 "For how long?" 
 
 " Can't say ; mebbe for a day, or three days, but 
 hardly a week." 
 
 "Yery well." 
 
 The hunter looked admiringly at the youth, who 
 made this reply in a matter-of-fact tone. 
 
 " You've got grit and no mistake. I'm going 
 after them ponies, likewise as aforesaid the saddles, 
 bridles, and other things ; I ain't coming back either 
 till I fetch 'em." 
 
 " I supposed such was your purpose, but, Budd, 
 can't I be of help?" 
 
 The guide shook his head. 
 
 " That was what kept me thinking so long. I'd 
 like to take you with me, for you know how to 
 shoot a gun and, though you're a little chicken- 
 hearted when it comes to p'inting it at a man, yet 
 you'd do it if it was necessary ; but this bus'ness is 
 likely to take a shape where you can't help but will 
 hinder it." 
 
 " Yery well ; as you think best. I have my Win- 
 chester, revolver, and plenty of ammunition, and 
 ought to be able to take care of myself. What 
 would you advise me to do?" 
 
 " You're so eager to find that young friend of 
 your'n from Denver that you'll put in most of your 
 time hunting for him, but afore you look for him 
 
186 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 you want to find t'other chap, which his name is 
 Ba-lo-no." 
 
 " I fully agree with you." 
 
 " He'll fix it to help you look for t'other one, 
 and you won't have much trouble in finding the 
 Shoshone." 
 
 " He may be as elusive as Dolph Bushkirk." 
 
 " He'd be a good deal more so if it warn't for one 
 thing ; he'll be looking for you ; he went home to 
 fix things with his folks so he could do that. He 
 knows who you're so anxious to meet and he'll 
 help." 
 
 " I shall succeed, with the aid of one who under- 
 stands the woods so well." 
 
 That which caused Arlos more regret than the 
 loss of the valuable property was the disappearance 
 of the minor things. The theft of the bear's claws 
 and several articles of toilet, but especially the first 
 named, brought a pang. If he essayed to tell the 
 story of his encounter with the gigantic beast, he 
 would have to use great discretion to gain belief. 
 
 u Now," said Budd, " this ? ere bus'ness wants a 
 little plainer understanding than Ave had afore. 
 The reports of the guns will be the same two 
 quick firings mean 'come' and three 'come power- 
 ful quick.' That's all clear enough, but we may be 
 miles apart, when the shooting of our guns won't 
 
LOST IN THE kOCKIES. 187 
 
 count, for it might take half a day for us to come 
 together even if the sounds could be heard. We've 
 seen the smoke of a good many cariipfires ; there 
 ain't no way of telling whether soiiie df '6m are 
 friends or enemies 'cept by the stieak act, at the* 
 risk of having your head blowed off. Now when I 
 start a fire that I mean for a signal for you, you'll 
 obsarve that it'll wobble." 
 
 " Please explain a little more clearly." 
 
 " The smoke will go right up straight, as you 
 always see it, and like any well-behaved campfire, 
 but then it'll break and scatter as if it had been 
 fired into and busted all to flinders. You'll make 
 yours perform the same way." 
 
 " I'll be glad to do it if you'll tell me how." 
 
 " It's easy enough. After the fire's fairly going, 
 you'll fan the smoke with your hat sort of careful 
 like, and it won't take you long to larn the trick." 
 
 " It's a good plan ; I will not forget it. How 
 soon will you start?" 
 
 " Now ; good-night ?" 
 
 Snatching up his rifle, which he held in a trailing 
 position, Budd Slogan strode into the gloom, im- 
 mediately vanishing from sight. 
 
 Arlos had not supposed that the guide would 
 leave him thus abruptly. He expected him to 
 wait until morning, but he had not done so, and it 
 
188 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 only remained for the youth to make the best he 
 could of the situation. 
 
 One thing was apparent: the man was in the 
 most dangerous mood possible, for, were it other- 
 wise, he would have postponed action until sunrise. 
 He must have formed a suspicion of where to look 
 for the horse thieves, and was not willing to lose 
 time by waiting. Even if he knew such waiting 
 would not be lost, he was so angered that he was 
 forced to find relief in action. 
 
 " There will be desperate work before he comes 
 back," was the thought of Arlos, who stood for a 
 minute or two, gazing at the point where his friend 
 had melted from sight in the darkness ; " but it is 
 idle to speculate ; it will not help him, and if I could 
 have been of any assistance he would have taken 
 me along. I must now give attention to my own 
 affairs." 
 
 The question with Arlos was whether he should 
 withdraw into the cavern and try to sleep. The 
 bed couldn't be any harder, for it was stone, but 
 several considerations caused him to change his 
 first decision to retire for the night. 
 
 He was so flurried and wrought up that he did 
 not believe he would be able to sleep even had his 
 couch been more comfortable ; but the most dis- 
 quieting thought was that the spot had been so 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 189 
 
 recently visited by enemies. The feeling was that, 
 having been there a brief time before, they were 
 likely to come again. Arlos would be in a sorry 
 plight if found unconscious by the vicious outlaws. 
 
 "They didn't leave anything to steal, but Yal 
 Harper wants revenge for what occurred to-day ; so 
 the best thing I can do is to make a change of 
 base." And Arlos, too, passed out into the night. 
 
 He walked softly, and peered here and there in 
 the darkness, half-expecting to see the outlines of 
 one of the men stealing toward him, but nothing of 
 that nature was observed. 
 
 Could he have known where to find a place that 
 would permit of such a thing he would have lain 
 down and slept. 
 
 The hardest thing, however, for a person to do 
 when placed in his position is to do nothing, and 
 he moved up the valley with the care and caution 
 he had shown from the first. 
 
 The misfortune to which every one is exposed 
 when traveling through the trackless woods, or in 
 the night, when all landmarks are hidden from 
 sight, is that of journeying in a circle and returning 
 to the starting point. 
 
 Many explanations have been given of this curious 
 tendency. The most probable is that we are all 
 born left or right-handed. 
 
190 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Arlos escaped this mishap by following the stream 
 tip the valley, keeping it within sight or hearing 
 until he reached the falls, near which Ra-lo-no had 
 brought down the antelope the day before. Here 
 he sought for some nook or cranny in the rocks that 
 would serve him, but none was satisfactory, and 
 turning to the right he continued his aimless grop- 
 ing with the prospect of keeping it up all night. 
 
 But an unexpected interruption came. He had 
 passed round an obstructing bowlder and stumbled 
 over a large stone, when to his amazement he 
 caught the glimmer of a light a short distance 
 ahead. 
 
 He stopped, puzzled and alarmed. His first 
 thought was that he had approached the camp of 
 the white men. He turned to flank it, when he was 
 restrained by the suspicion that he might be 
 mistaken. 
 
 From where he stood he could see nothing but 
 the glow of the fire, which had smoldered low. No 
 figures, either moving about or lying down, were to 
 be distinguished. 
 
 The youth was stealing forward, when he was 
 seized with the grip of a giant and flung to the 
 ground with a violence that almost drove his senses 
 from him. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 191 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 IN THE HOUSE OF FRIENDS. 
 
 ARLOS HAYMAN believed that his approach to the 
 strange campfire was so guarded and noiseless that 
 no sentinel could possibly detect him. It may be 
 said that he went forward inch by inch, often 
 pausing, and continually peering to the right and 
 left and looking back to make sure that no one 
 came upon him from any direction. 
 
 And yet a man flung himself forward with resist- 
 less violence, and crushed him helplessly to the 
 earth. So fiercely indeed was this done that his 
 Winchester flew from his hand and his hat rolled 
 several feet away. 
 
 Not doubting that he was in the grip of Yal 
 Harper or one of his men, the youth struggled 
 desperately to draw his revolver. He set his teeth 
 but did not speak, bending ail his energies toward 
 defending himself. 
 
 He was active and he had become strong, but the 
 man who had downed him was still stronger and 
 quickly proved himself his master. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The two were beyond the faint light thrown out 
 by the campfire, so that Arlos could not indentify 
 the man, who was upon his chest and holding 
 his arms immovably against his body. Believing 
 his death imminent, the youth continued his resist- 
 ance with all the power at his command. 
 
 As he writhed his position changed so that his 
 threshing feet were twisted toward the fire. At 
 the side of the incubus on his breast suddenly ap- 
 peared a second person, who excitedly uttered some- 
 thing in a tongue which the youth did not compre- 
 hend. 
 
 Its peculiar, jerky character, however, had ac- 
 quired a certain familiarity to him. It was not a 
 white man that had hurled him to the ground, but 
 a Shoshone Indian, and the one who was making 
 so vigorous use of his tongue was his old friend 
 Ea-lo-no. 
 
 Two of the Shoshones were acting as sentinels. 
 One was Ra-lo-no, but he was posted on the other 
 side of the camp. It had been made clear to the 
 Indian hunting party that Budd Slogan and his 
 companion were as good friends as the other couple 
 that had been encountered, and who were then at 
 no great distance. 
 
 Had Arlos been a known enemy he would have 
 been shot down or slain with the knife ; but it was 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 193 
 
 the uncertainty about his identity that caused the 
 sentinel to hold him unharmed but helpless until 
 the truth should be ascertained. 
 
 It took Ra-lo-no but a moment to discover that 
 the tall youth on the ground was his old or rather 
 his new friend. His energetic words enlightened 
 the warrior, who sprang from Arlos' chest and ex- 
 tended his hand to help him to his feet, making at 
 the same time profuse apologies. 
 
 It is safe to say the words were meant for an 
 apology, though not one was intelligible to the 
 young gentleman to whom they were addressed. 
 He could not discern the face of Ra-lo-no, but he 
 recognized his voice, and the dim glow of the camp- 
 fire behind him showed the outlines of his stocky 
 figure. 
 
 " Don't mention it," protested Arlos, whose lucky 
 escape and fortunate meeting raised his spirits to so 
 high a point that he forgot the late struggle, and 
 the aches that had not yet left his body ; " it was 
 rather a warm reception, but I didn't give the pass- 
 word, because it wasn't asked me and I didn't know 
 what it was. I suppose that is the Shoshone style 
 of challenging a stranger, and I don't object." 
 
 All three walked to the campfire. Ea-lo-no flung 
 some wood upon it and by the glare of the flames 
 the faces of all three were disclosed. They looked 
 
194 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 at one another with curious expressions. The broad 
 countenance of the young Shoshone of course was 
 bisected by his enormous grin. The other Indian 
 was the one with whom Budd Slogan had held the 
 talk that afternoon, when Jim Wagram lay lifeless 
 at their feet. 
 
 The face of this Indian was grave, not the faintest 
 smile appearing. He fixed his black eyes on the 
 youth, who, as the best means of showing his good 
 will despite his rough treatment, extended his hand. 
 
 The warrior accepted it and managed to say, 
 " Howdy ?" which marked the extent of his attain- 
 ments in the study of English literature. 
 
 Then Ka-lo-no offered his hand, and the youths 
 saluted each other as if they were brothers, meeting 
 after the lapse of many years. There was no 
 mistake about the friendship there. 
 
 'The fire was now burning so vigorously that it 
 threw a wide glare in all directions. The warrior 
 returned to his duty as sentinel, leaving the youths 
 together. 
 
 Arlos looked around him with curious interest? 
 for the sight which greeted his eyes was a novel 
 one. When Yal Harper gave it as his belief that 
 the Shoshones would encamp together at night, he 
 was correct. Here they were and this was their 
 camp. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 195 
 
 Figures were seen extended on the ground in the 
 gloom, most of them wrapped in their blankets, 
 and apparently asleep, but a slight stirring here 
 and there proved that they had been awakened by 
 the disturbance. Arlos saw the glitter of more 
 than one pair of eyes, from the enfolding covering, 
 but the warriors must have been satisfied that all 
 was right, for they made no further move and soon 
 sank into dreamland again. 
 
 The most interesting object, however, was a tepee 
 or wigwam, indistinctly revealed by the firelight. 
 It stood so far back that only the front showed. 
 It was composed of skins sewed together and 
 stretched over a number of poles, wide apart at the 
 bottom and uniting at the top to form the apex. 
 All was silent around it, and the flap which served 
 as a door was down, so that the aboriginal residence 
 was closed. 
 
 Ea-lo-no had his duty to perform as sentinel. 
 His keen eyes told him that his visitor was tired, 
 and was without any blanket. Whatever he con- 
 jectured to be the cause, he did not hesitate. 
 
 Moving softly to the tepee, he stooped down, 
 drew aside the flap, and was absent only a minute. 
 When he came forth, he brought a blanket, which 
 he spread on the ground near the fire and motioned 
 to Arlos that it was at his service. 
 
196 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Nothing could have been more welcome, and ex- 
 pressing his thanks as best he could, the young 
 paleface lay down, drew the folds about him, and 
 almost immediately dropped to sleep. 
 
 He was awakened by the stir and confusion of 
 the camp. Sitting erect, he gazed wonderingly at 
 the dusky figures, none of whom manifested th^ 
 slightest interest in him. Naturally he looked for 
 Ra-lo-no, or his sister, Ko-mo-mo, but they were not 
 in sight. All were strangers, the sentinel who 
 handled him so roughly being among the missing. 
 
 There was no cause, however, for misgiving. He 
 was among friends. He retained his sitting posture 
 upon the blanket and watched the curious scene 
 with interest. 
 
 Naturally his first glance was at the tepee. It 
 was still closed and all was silent about it. The 
 skins of which it was composed seemed to be from 
 the buffalo, with the furry side turned inward. 
 The smooth surface outside had been whitened, first 
 by a rude tanning process, increased by exposure 
 and use. The skins were joined at the edges by 
 long stitches of thread made from the sinews of the 
 deer, and some budding aboriginal artist had made 
 drawings with a species of black and red chalk, 
 which recalled Arlos' efforts on his slate when five 
 or six years old. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 197 
 
 " I suppose that is the residence of the medicine 
 man," he thought, " and he is too dignified and 
 important to mingle with the common people." 
 
 Two other fires had been started, and at each a 
 warrior was cooking meat for the morning meal. 
 No ponies were in sight, but since it was certain that 
 a number had been used to bring the luggage, as 
 well as to serve for riding, they were probably 
 grazing in the neighborhood under the watchful 
 eyes of their guards. 
 
 Arlos noticed that the warriors were all sinewy, 
 fine-looking men, and each seemed to be armed with 
 rifle and knife. He did not observe a single bow or 
 arrow, though he knew these people will never 
 wholly abandon those aboriginal weapons. 
 
 He was still studying the interesting panorama, 
 when some one touched his shoulder. He looked 
 around and there stood Ko-mo-mo, smiling, and 
 looking so much like Ea-lo-no that there could be 
 no doubt they were brother and sister. 
 
 Arlos instantly rose to his feet, and, having 
 donned his hat, took it off again and bowed with his 
 best grace. She spoke, but he smilingly shook his 
 head to signify he did not understand her. 
 
 She motioned him to follow, and led the way 
 beyond the camp to a tiny stream of clear, icy 
 cold water, which plashed from among the rocks. 
 
198 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Pointing to it she said something, and then left 
 him. 
 
 Arlos bathed his hands and face, took a few 
 swallows, and extended his arms above his head 
 with the luxurious feeling which comes with perfect 
 health and high spirits. 
 
 Presently Ka-lo-no appeared, coming from the 
 direction of the camp. He formed so pleasing a 
 picture, with his short heavy stick in one hand and 
 his blanket flung over his shoulder, that Arlos, who 
 possessed considerable skill in sketching, motioned 
 for him to stand still. It required several minutes 
 to understand what was wanted, but he finally 
 " caught on," and struck a pose. 
 
 Arlos set to work with his pencil and was very 
 successful. The likeness was so good that when 
 the artist handed it to the young Shoshone he stood 
 for a few moments struck dumb with delight. 
 Then he looked at the smiling Arlos, and indulged 
 in the exuberant mirth displayed the day before at 
 sight of the terror of Yal Harper. He leaned over 
 and laughed until ready to fall to the earth. Then 
 he stopped with comical suddenness, and held the 
 paper out before him, his face as solemn as that of 
 a judge. 
 
 The next moment over he went, the dangling 
 black hair almost touching the ground from his low 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 199 
 
 obeisance, as he gave himself up to a merriment 
 which threatened to take away his power of 
 breathing. 
 
 It was so funny that Arlos laughed almost as 
 heartily as he. Finally, Ra-lo-no seemed to regain 
 mastery of himself, and motioned for the instru- 
 ment with which this marvelous work had been 
 done. 
 
 He examined the little cedar stick and the tiny 
 plumbago with curious interest. Gently touching 
 the point to the back of the sheet of paper, he made 
 several wabbling strokes and stared at the black 
 lines thus produced. 
 
 Arlos struck an attitude and signed for him to 
 try his hand. The Shoshone began the effort, and 
 then the scene became funnier than ever. 
 
 He held his breath, ran out his tongue, and his 
 eyes bulged as he watched the course of the pencil, 
 glancing often at the young man, who with his 
 arms folded was vainly trying to repress his 
 merriment. 
 
 " Ah-oogh-oogh !" soon exclaimed Ra-lo-no in dis- 
 gust, shaking his head to signify that he had 
 made a shocking failure of the attempt. Arlos 
 stepped forward, and when he had looked at the 
 grotesque image of himself he gave way to his feel- 
 ing of amusement. He was compelled to admit 
 
200 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 that with all the brightness displayed by the dusky 
 youth nature never meant him to be an artist. 
 
 Suddenly an idea struck the Indian. He 
 motioned to Arlos to stay where he was, and with 
 paper and pencil in hand hurried away to camp. 
 
 " I suppose he will bring some one else for me to 
 sketch. I'm afraid I've got myself into trouble, 
 for I may have to make pictures of the whole 
 tribe." 
 
 After a long wait Ba-lo-no appeared, leading his 
 sister by the hand. Two children of half a dozen 
 years could not have had more happy anticipations. 
 
 The brother had explained to his people and her 
 the astounding thing done by the paleface with 
 the little stick of wood and its black point. The 
 picture of the youth was a demonstration of his 
 genius, and now Ko-mo-mo presented herself for 
 delineation on paper. 
 
 The delay of Ka-lo-no had been caused by the 
 preparation on the part of his sister for the mo- 
 mentous ordeal. What pretty young lady sits for 
 her photograph without making ready therefor? 
 
 Her friends must have meant to guard her care- 
 fully against any violent changes in the weather, 
 for she had brought with her a suit which would 
 have been ample protection in the Arctic regions. 
 The heavy hood which inclosed her shapely head 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 201 
 
 was fringed with fur, and the neck was encircled 
 by a good imitation of the article known as a boa. 
 
 Arlos Hay man did his best to produce a faithful 
 picture of the young woman, who stood immovable 
 as a statue during the task, as she would have stood 
 had it continued for an hour. 
 
 He met with gratifying success, and completed 
 the sketch by filling it in. He depicted the sloping 
 mountains in the background, with the rocks and 
 pines scattered here and there, including the vegeta- 
 tion directly around and behind her. 
 
 "When the sketch was finished Arlos with a bow 
 handed it to Ko-mo-mo, who was affected differently 
 from her brother. She stood for a few seconds 
 with her eyes fixed intently upon it, and then, 
 without a smile, uttered a deep sigh. 
 
 She did not address a word to Ea-lo-no. The 
 occasion was one of those in which she could not 
 do justice to her emotions. 
 
 Brother and sister were happy beyond expression, 
 and yet neither of them was more so than he who 
 had given them this pleasure. He read the delight 
 glowing in both faces and could not help reflecting : 
 
 " They are human beings like ourselves ; they 
 have the same feelings, the same capacities, the 
 same sense of right and wrong, and are entitled to 
 justice. Surely something is amiss and much blame 
 
202 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 belongs to my race when we are continually at war 
 with these people. It has been war and outrage 
 from the first settlement of the country, and I sup- 
 pose it will be to the end, unless," he added, " our 
 government puts a conscience in the management 
 of public affairs." 
 
LOSt IN THE ROCKIES. 203 
 
 CHAPTEE XYIL 
 
 THE CKOTALTJS. 
 
 AKLOS HAYMAN could not fail to note the admiring 
 
 glances of the Shoshones who examined his handi- 
 work. 
 
 To his relief he was not kept waiting for his first 
 meal of the day. The Indians were favored with 
 as vigorous appetites as himself, and the supply of 
 well-broiled venison brought to him by Ra-lo-no 
 and his sister Ko-mo-mo was all that he could desire. 
 
 Knives and forks are not in special favor among 
 the aborigines, though, as I have said, the civilized 
 tribes lack no convenience or luxury. The only 
 implement used by the Shoshones was the hunting 
 knife, which also served the paleface guest, for he 
 had learned its use before his visit to their camp. 
 
 Arlos felt a great curiosity regarding the big 
 tepee, some distance away. While he had received 
 no information respecting it, he was convinced that 
 it belonged to the medicine man, the father of his 
 two young friends. 
 
204 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 For some reason this dignitary, rated in some 
 respects above a war chief, kept out of sight. The 
 flap door was still in place, and not the slightest 
 glimpse could be obtained of the interior, though 
 the situation of the youth was favorable for seeing. 
 
 The meal [being finished, Ha-lo-no sprang to his 
 feet, and again entered the lodge by crouching and 
 passing through the door. He speedily reappeared 
 with an excellent rifle, and pausing in front of 
 Arlos, grinned and signified that he was ready to 
 aid him in the hunt for his friend. 
 
 It will be remembered that Budd Slogan had 
 explained the wishes of the } r outh to the young 
 Shoshone, who easily read the meaning of the visit 
 of the paleface the evening before. 
 
 At the moment of setting forth, a peculiar ex- 
 clamation struck Arlos' ear. He turned and saw 
 the flap of the tepee partly drawn aside, and the 
 face of a middle-aged Indian peering out. 
 
 It was similar to that of the others, the long 
 black hair dangling about the shoulders, but there 
 was something in the stern, savage expression which 
 identified him as the great medicine man who per- 
 sisted in remaining invisible. 
 
 His call was addressed to Ka-lo-no, who bounded 
 to his side, pausing directly before his parent, and 
 listening respectfully to what he had to say. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 205 
 
 Arlos saw the youth nod his head and heard him 
 reply. Whatever passed was satisfactory to both, 
 for the face was withdrawn and the son came back 
 to his guest. 
 
 With nothing in the nature of a farewell, the 
 young Shoshone walked out of camp, taking a 
 northern direction. Ko-mo-mo was the only one 
 who gave any attention to the two. She stood 
 looking attentively at them, the end of her fore- 
 finger between her lips, for all the world like a 
 child pouting because she is deprived of some 
 coveted pleasure. 
 
 " She wants to go with us," thought Arlos ; "she 
 would be pleasant company, but her brother is wise 
 to leave her behind. 1 ' 
 
 Ra-lo-no had not brought any blanket or extra 
 covering for his companion, and left behind his own 
 thick garment which hitherto he had carried with 
 him. This Arlos accepted as proof that he expected 
 to spend the night in his own camp. 
 
 It was a relief that the dusky youth was provided 
 with a rifle. He carried also a belt of cartridges, 
 so that he was equipped in the improved modern 
 style, and he knew how to use the formidable 
 weapon, which was a repeating one like that of 
 Arlos Hay man. 
 
 The business of the youth was to find Dolph 
 
206 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Busbkirk, and incidentally Yarnum Brown, his 
 guide and friend. Arlos had not the remotest idea 
 of what course to take in order to do this, and relied 
 wholly on his companion. 
 
 What clew the young Shoshone possessed, or 
 what reason there was for believing he would do 
 better than the paleface, was beyond the power of 
 the latter to conjecture ; but the astonishing skill 
 of the dusky guide as a trailer and woodman left 
 no doubt in the mind of Arlos that the chances of 
 success were greater than ever before. 
 
 "I have it!" he exclaimed, while stepping closely 
 in the other's footsteps. " He saw Dolph only a 
 few days ago; he will go to the exact spot; there 
 he will take the trail and follow it up. It will be 
 as easy for him as rolling off a log." 
 
 The ground over which they traveled was similar 
 to that already described, consisting of rocks, bowl- 
 ders, and depressions, with here and there scraggly 
 growths of pine, yawning crevices, glimpses of deep 
 ravines, dizzying precipices, and now and then long, 
 level valleys, through some of which coursed streams 
 of water, with an exuberant growth of grass on 
 every hand. 
 
 Arlos kept directly behind his guide, for traveling 
 in this fashion was easier than abreast. Indeed it 
 was not often that the latter course was possible. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 20? 
 
 As they journeyed the paleface made good use 
 of his eyes. He looked not only on the ground, but 
 in the air ; yet did not catch the first sight of the 
 smoke of campfires, although on the preceding day 
 such indications were plentiful. 
 
 Ka-lo-no did not speak or look around. He 
 assumed that his companion would keep close to his 
 heels, and his sense of hearing told him he was 
 doing so. Like the elder members of his tribe, he 
 gave his entire attention to the business before him. 
 
 It was while the two youths were making their 
 way in the most natural manner that a startling 
 incident took place. 
 
 Arlos was admiring the free, easy swing of his 
 guide, as he passed over or around obstructions with 
 as much facility as across the open plain, when the 
 Indian gave utterance to an exclamation, and leaped 
 backward so suddenly that he well-nigh carried the 
 astonished Arlos off his feet. A spiteful, buzzing 
 rattle heard at the same moment warned both that 
 the peril was in the form of a rattlesnake. 
 
 Ea-lo-no had almost stepped on the venomous 
 reptile, and only his astonishing agility saved him 
 from the sting of the small flat head, which darted 
 forward like the flash of a sunbeam. Instances 
 have been known of the crotalus species biting 
 without the usual preliminary notice. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 In the present instance the dart of the head was 
 made while the tail was vibrating, so that the 
 warning was no warning at all. 
 
 But the Shoshone was beyond reach of the vicious 
 thing. He stood motionless and contemplated the 
 serpent, which was still in coil and bristling with 
 anger. 
 
 He was a formidable specimen, the upper part of 
 his body thicker than a man's wrist, while the ele- 
 vated tail, whose tip vibrated so fast that it looked 
 like mist in the air, showed more than a dozen rattles. 
 
 Ka-lo-no took several steps forward, which again 
 carried him perilously near the terrible snake. Its 
 head was drawn back like the neck of a swan, ready 
 and eager to repeat its blow. 
 
 It waited, however, for its enemy to draw a little 
 closer, and he did it, edging up carefully, inch by 
 inch. 
 
 "Have a care," said Arlos, forgetting that his 
 words were not understood ; " they strike quickly, 
 and you are nearer than you ought to be." 
 
 He laid his hand on Ka-lo-no's shoulder. The 
 Indian drew back a single step, enough to insure 
 himself against a bite ; then turned so as to look 
 into the face of his alarmed companion, smiled, and 
 shook his head to imply that he knew what he was 
 doing. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 209 
 
 " I don't suppose you thank rne for interfering, 
 but any man is a fool, I don't care if his skin is 
 copper-colored, who plays with a rattlesnake." 
 
 Ra-lo-no was inching forward once more. He 
 held the muzzle of his Winchester toward the rep- 
 tile, as if to use it as a stick with which to stir it 
 up. 
 
 No need of that, for the rattler was almost burst- 
 ing with fury, and was sure to strike the next 
 instant. 
 
 And he did. There was one horrible moment 
 when Arlos was sure that the fang had entered the 
 ankle of his daring friend, but he had saved him- 
 self by the narrowest margin conceivable. The 
 nose of the reptile touched the thick cloth of the 
 trousers' leg at the bottom, darting instantly back 
 again to repeat the blow. 
 
 The grinning Shoshone turned around and pointed 
 to the spot just above his shoe. Looking closely, 
 Arlos observed several drops of a clear, honey-like 
 substance shining on the texture of the cloth. It 
 was the venom projected from the reptile's fangs, 
 which, if it had entered the circulation of the Sho- 
 shone's body, would have killed him within the 
 space of a few minutes. 
 
 Arlos shook his head impatiently. He was dis- 
 pleased with his companion's actions, but the latter, 
 
210 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 without relaxing his grin, addressed himself to th6 
 work of extracting a little more fun from the situ- 
 ation. 
 
 Arlos, standing a few paces back and behind him, 
 was tempted to end the strained situation by shoot- 
 ing off the head of the rattler. He could easily do 
 it, and he partly raised his rifle, but lowered it 
 again. 
 
 " It would offend him. He has seen those things 
 before, and must know how close he can go to 
 the line. He may do what he pleases for all me." 
 
 Ra-lo-no was stealing up again, his body slightly 
 bent, so as to thrust his head forward. His right 
 hand, which held his gun, was extended, and with 
 the muzzle he poked the frightful coil hard enough 
 to hurt. 
 
 The rattler was so enraged that it again shot its 
 head forward, this time aiming for the tantalizing 
 face. Arlos uttered a gasp, believing a fatal blow 
 had been delivered, but the Shoshone knew what 
 would be the target when the reptile struck with 
 his only partially-refilled fangs. He knew, too, 
 just how far the fearful head would come, and he 
 did a most surprising thing. 
 
 Arlos saw him make a swinging, half-circular 
 movement with his right hand, it being done so 
 quickly that the spectator hardly followed the 
 
IN THE ROCKIES. 211 
 
 action, but, incredulous as it may seem, he brought 
 the muzzle of his gun fairly against the front of the 
 rattler at the instant the neck was extended to its 
 fullest length. 
 
 The blow, it will be understood, was a side one, 
 and was delivered with such wonderful quickness 
 that it landed directly behind the head of the snake 
 with the vicious force of a rifle ball. 
 
 The neck of the reptile was darting back to re- 
 sume its poise above the coil of the body. It 
 managed to do so, but failed to take the head with 
 it. 
 
 Ra-lo-no did that which he had planned to do. He 
 sent the triangular point spinning twent}^ feet 
 away. It fell out of sight behind a bowlder, and 
 the furiously writhing body quickly ceased its 
 struggles. 
 
 The crotalus species is easily killed, and when one 
 of them is deprived of his head, he must surely 
 succumb. 
 
 The young Shoshone looked once more at his 
 companion, who signified by gesture that he was 
 not pleased with what had been done. Then he 
 tried to remind Ea-lo-no that where one of these 
 reptiles is found its mate is not likely to be far off. 
 
 That the Shoshone understood his meaning was 
 shown by his reply. He pointed to a, flat rock, a 
 
212 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 couple of rods distant, where a similar serpent was 
 seen, also in coil, as if waiting to be attacked. 
 
 " I'll end this tomfoolery," muttered Arlos, bring- 
 ing his gun to his shoulder and sending a ball into 
 the coil, which effectually settled the second rattler. 
 
 The body of the first was now examined. That 
 it was a monstrous specimen was shown by its 
 eighteen rattles and a button. There was the possi- 
 bility, too, that it had lost several joints from its 
 strange appendix so that it may have been consider- 
 ably more than a score of years old. 
 
 It was early in the season for rattlers, and these 
 two were the first that Arlos had seen since coming 
 west. He had no wish to meet any more, for 
 while, like most of us, he detested all species of 
 serpents, whether harmless or otherwise, he was 
 well aware of the peculiarly dangerous nature of 
 the crotalus, which annually causes the death of 
 many persons and animals in the civilized east as 
 well as in the west. 
 
 The incident being finished, the two dismissed it 
 from their minds. The delay had not lasted more 
 than ten minutes, and Ra-lo-no now stepped off 
 with his usual brisk and sure gait, which made 
 light of every obstacle. 
 
 They were in a part of the mountains which was 
 wholly strange to Arlos. Aware that his guide 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 213 
 
 needed no aid from him, he did little except to fol- 
 low like a dog at the heels of his master. 
 
 Although the young Shoshone might tramp for 
 hours in this manner without halt, it was not long 
 before he was compelled to pause in front of an 
 obstruction of a nature not before encountered. 
 
 This was a mountain stream, which at its 
 narrowest portion was all of a dozen feet wide. 
 It flowed between rocks, fifteen or twenty feet 
 above the current, which sped so swiftly that it 
 almost made one dizzy to look down at it. 
 
 The water was clear and the depth great. Its 
 appearance suggested that it was a river compressed 
 into the canyon, which may have borne it onward 
 until it united with the White, Bear, Grand, Platte, 
 Yampa, or some of the other numerous streams 
 that have their sources in this part of the Rocky 
 Mountains. 
 
 The halt of the Shoshone implied that it was 
 necessary to cross the obstruction which confronted 
 them. With a smile he pointed to the opposite 
 bank, that was several feet higher than the one on 
 which they were standing. 
 
 "Gracious!" thought Arlos, "he is asking me 
 whether I can jump across. I wonder whether he 
 is able to do it. I never took a challenge from any 
 boy at home, and if he is, willing to try it so am I." 
 
214 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 As well as he could by gesture, the youth replied 
 that he was ready to follow where the Shoshone 
 dared to lead. 
 
 " Agh oogh Ka-lo-no oogh !" 
 
 Ea-lo-no understood him. He looked keenly at 
 the opposite shore, drew back a half dozen steps, 
 ran quickly to the edge of the stream and leaped 
 forward 
 
 Arlos Hayman clapped his hands. It was the 
 finest exploit of the kind he had ever witnessed. 
 With scarcely a perceptible effort, the stocky figure 
 rose in the air, seemingly poised for a moment 
 over the canyon, and then landed lightly, fully a 
 pace beyond the further edge. He took one step 
 forward, in obedience to his own momentum, and 
 turned to watch Arlos do the same. 
 
 " This is the most risky thing I ever undertook," 
 the white youth reflected ; " when we vaulted or 
 leaped at home, if we failed why we failed, and that 
 was all there was of it. The only unpleasant con- 
 sequences were those of being beaten by the other 
 fellow; but here failure may mean death. I have 
 striven for some pretty valuable prizes, but nothing 
 the equal of what is now at stake." 
 
 Meanwhile the young Shoshone was calmly wait- 
 ing for him. 
 
 " I don't see how I can get out of it without a 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 215 
 
 flunk which will make me ashamed of myself. So 
 here goes !" 
 
 He moved back twice as far as his guide had 
 done. Holding his gun in one hand, he dashed for- 
 ward at his utmost speed, and, with his last resting- 
 place on the rocky edge, gathered his muscles for 
 the supreme effort. 
 
 It can hardly be doubted that if Arlos Hayman 
 had been in his usual condition he would have per- 
 formed the exploit with the facility of his prede- 
 cessor. I have already shown that he had made 
 marvelous gains in strength and activity, but it 
 must be remembered that the time occupied in thus 
 building up his body was brief. 
 
 Great as was his improvement, he was not yet 
 the same youth whose physical prowess had been 
 the admiration of his friends and classmates. 
 
 A leaper knows whether he is going to succeed 
 or fail at the very beginning of his attempt. A 
 sprawling tumble is not necessary to tell him the 
 woeful truth that he is certain to fall short. 
 
 While in the act of leaving his support, with his 
 foot still resting on the edge of the canyon, but too 
 late to draw back, Arlos felt that he had undertaken 
 a task beyond his power of accomplishment. His 
 lips were compressed ; he held his breath and sent 
 up a prayer for success. 
 
216 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 But all the same he knew that he was doomed to 
 failure in the most daring attempt of his life.] 
 
 It may have been that the watchful Ea-lo-no read 
 the startling truth, for he instantly prepared to give 
 all the aid he could. Dropping on his knees, he 
 reached out his hand to grasp that of his friend. 
 
 Their fingers actually touched for a brief second, 
 and the dusky youth ran the risk of precipitating 
 himself headforemost into the canyon in his des- 
 perate effort to help, but he failed. Arlos, with his 
 scared face turned upward, sped down the face of 
 the rock like a cannon ball into the swirling water, 
 passing deep below the surface, but quickly appear- 
 ing again. 
 
 He was an excellent swimmer and did not lose 
 his presence of mind. His Winchester was clutched 
 in his left hand, but he was able to swim with his 
 right and his feet, and he made good use of them. 
 
 It was idle to try to stem the current, against 
 which a torpedo boat could not have forced its way, 
 so he coolly faced about and went with it. 
 
 "I'm bound to come out somewhere," was his 
 grim thought as he compressed his lips and shot 
 down stream with arrowy swiftness. 
 
 Strange that in that trying moment Arlos' one 
 controlling emotion was impatience with himself, 
 amounting to exasperation. A year before he would 
 
Arlos once more entered the swift current and was rescued.- 1'age 218. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 217 
 
 have thought nothing of making the leap which 
 cost his friend so slight an effort, but now he had 
 failed most humiliatingly. 
 
 He had been beaten " out of sight," for the first 
 time in his life, and it filled him with wrath. He 
 meant to rescue himself without the help of any one. 
 
 But indignant as he was he could not forget his 
 peril. Clearing the water from his eyes, he saw ere 
 he had gone a hundred feet the head of a black, 
 dripping rock protruding from the middle of the 
 stream and directly in his path. 
 
 His first intention was to dart to the right of 
 this, hoping for some way out of his dilemma be- 
 yond, but a shout caused him to look up. Ra-lo-no 
 had run along the side of the canyon so rapidly as to 
 keep almost abreast of him. He was shouting and 
 pointing at the rock in front of the swimmer. 
 
 The latter could not understand his words nor the 
 meaning of his excited gestures, but he interpreted 
 them as a command to him to catch upon the rock 
 and check himself. At any rate Arlos acted upon 
 that supposition. 
 
 So swift was his course that it looked as if he 
 would be hurled against the huge stone with fatal 
 violence. But keeping his eye on the formidable 
 object which appeared to be plunging toward him, 
 while he was stationary, he put forth his utmost 
 
218 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 exertion in the effort to swim against the resistless 
 current. 
 
 He could not do this, but the " brake " thus put 
 on his momentum did good service and enabled him 
 to keep command of his senses, so that when the 
 shock of impact came he was only slightly bruised. 
 He drew himself up out of reach of the fierce torrent. 
 
 Looking around, now that he had the chance to 
 gather his wits, he observed that the bank from 
 which he had leaped was all of twenty feet distant, 
 while the one upon which Ea-lo-no was standing 
 was about two-thirds as far off. It might have been 
 a hundred yards, so far as leaping it was concerned, 
 and sitting down on the dripping rock Arlos looked 
 at his friend, as if to ask him what was to be done. 
 
 The Shoshone ought to have been a Yankee, for 
 he hit upon the right scheme without a moment's 
 speculation. It took but a few seconds to cut a 
 long, thin hickory sapling, the smaller end of which 
 he reached to Arlos, who was smiling at the scheme. 
 He grasped it firmly, and then nodded to Ra-lo-no 
 to pull. 
 
 The dusky youth steadied himself as Arlos once 
 more entered the fearfully swift and deep current, 
 and then tugged and pulled and strained, and lo, it 
 was done. The two friends stood beside each other 
 again. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ON THE TRAIL. 
 
 ARLOS shook the hand of his rescuer, who, look- 
 ing at him with his odd grin, turned and walked 
 away as if nothing out of the usual order had hap- 
 pened. A hundred yards further he paused near a 
 large tree and pointed to the ground. 
 
 The reason was apparent. A heap of ashes and 
 charred bits of wood showed that a fire had been 
 burning there not long before, which of itself was 
 proof that certain persons had encamped on the 
 spot. 
 
 " This must be where he saw Dolph and Brown ; 
 he will take their trail and keep to it until he finds 
 them. It may be slow business, but it is sure." 
 
 No doubt Arlos was correct in his theory, for the 
 Shoshone waited only a few minutes, when he 
 strode off with the same pace as before, abruptly 
 halting on the margin of the grove, where his action 
 became incomprehensible to Arlos. 
 
220 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 There was so much damp earth that by close 
 study the paleface clearly saw the trail which bore 
 to the right toward a more rocky and desolate 
 section. The puzzle to him was that Ra-lo-no 
 instead of following this path, which must have 
 been as clear to him as " the road to the mill," gave 
 it no attention. 
 
 He appeared to be studying the face of the moun- 
 tainous region spread out before him, as if an 
 altogether different problem had presented itself to 
 his mifld. 
 
 An interesting fact remained for Arlos Hayman 
 to learn. While nearly every American Indian 
 possesses surprising skill in trailing a person or 
 animal, he often pursues a different method from 
 what is generally supposed. Thus, on the plains 
 of the Southwest, when he traces an enemy to a 
 river crossing, he pauses to study the country in 
 advance, and theorizes as to what is likely to be the 
 course of the one whom he is tracking. 
 
 He decides what the point is at which the fugi- 
 tive is aiming, and then bends all his energies to 
 reaching it, regardless of the trail itself, which 
 probably has been made winding and tortuous for 
 the purpose of misleading him. 
 
 If he is correct in his theory, he may reach the 
 destination scores of miles ahead of the other party, 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 221 
 
 and lie in ambush or prepare to receive the sur- 
 prised individual when he arrives. Some of the 
 most successful exploits of the famous Kit Carson 
 were performed in this manner, his intimate knowl- 
 edge of the country and the peculiarities of the 
 Indians whom he was pursuing rendering his 
 judgment almost infallible. 
 
 It must follow also that if the pursuer happens 
 to err in his calculations as to the line of flight and 
 destination of his enemies, an almost irreparable 
 blunder is the result. 
 
 The Shoshone was occupied for some minutes in 
 studying the formation of the country and the 
 course the man and youth would be likely to take 
 after leaving their camp in the grove. It was a 
 difficult task, which, as has been stated, was not 
 understood by his companion, who had expected 
 him to follow the trail that was marked so plainly 
 that no one could fail to note it. 
 
 Now, if Ea-lo-no could determine whither the 
 two had gone, it will be seen that he had only to 
 make his way directly to that point. This would 
 dispense with the laborious trailing, and would 
 save hours of time. 
 
 The dusky guide soon reached his conclusion, and 
 instead of turning to the right, moved forward, or 
 toward the east. He had laid out a rough route for 
 
222 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 himself, compelling many detours and the crossing 
 of two small streams, which they passed without 
 wetting their feet. 
 
 At a third, they removed their shoes and stock- 
 ings and waded across. They went through more 
 wooded territory, climbed several "steep ascents, 
 and finally reached a clump of trees on the border 
 of another small stream. 
 
 How far they had traveled Arlos could only 
 guess, but he believed it was not less than half a 
 dozen miles of the hardest work he had done since 
 leaving home. An evidence of this was the time 
 consumed, for when he examined his watch he saw 
 that it was past two o'clock. 
 
 It need not be said that he was hungry, for that 
 was his normal condition, but he determined to let 
 his companion know nothing of it, even though 
 aware that his people often make little of going 
 without food for two or three days. 
 
 " I can stand it until nightfall," Arlos decided ; 
 " then he will notice my famishing condition and 
 take pity on me. All the same, if I could get sight 
 of a deer, antelope, or anything eatable, I would 
 pop it over." 
 
 The Shoshone had halted and was studying the 
 ground immediately in front of him. His com- 
 panion did the same, and to his astonishment 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. $23 
 
 saw that they had reached the site of another 
 camp. 
 
 There were the ashes, the charred embers and 
 other signs which proved that one person or more 
 had halted there, most likely for the night. 
 
 It was then that the motive for Ra-lo-no's course 
 became clear to Arlos. The shrewd guide had 
 settled in his own mind the spot where Dolph 
 Bushkirk and his companion were likely to camp 
 the succeeding night, and had gone directly thither 
 regardless of the trail, which pursued a much longer 
 and more winding course. 
 
 " It looks to me as if it's taking big chances, but 
 the result paid this time. I don't know how it will 
 work when he tries it again." 
 
 The Shoshone stepped forward and kicked apart 
 the dead sticks. As the ashes were scattered, it 
 was seen that the end of one of the sticks was 
 aglow. He picked it up, and blew upon the ember, 
 which broke into a tiny blaze. 
 
 "That's good work!" exclaimed the delighted 
 Arlos. " It proves that ray friends spent last night 
 here. They can't be far off, and we must find them." 
 
 As several days had passed since the Shoshone 
 saw the others, it was hard to understand how 
 Arlos' theory could be accurate. 
 
 He explained it upon the supposition that his 
 
224 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 shrewd friend had " jumped " the intervening site 
 and hit the last one. This was a daring supposition; 
 but he was beginning to feel as if nothing was too 
 difficult for the young Indian to do. 
 
 Ea-lo-no followed the trail for several rods, when, 
 rather curiously, it made another abrupt turn, as in 
 the former instance. He paused now and then, and 
 spent several minutes in a deep study of his sur- 
 roundings, while Arlos, who saw what all this 
 hesitation meant, awaited his action. 
 
 The guide used more time than before so much, 
 indeed, that Arlos became a trifle impatient. The 
 day was wearing away, and he began to fear, despite 
 his high hopes, that another night was to pass 
 without a meeting with his friend. 
 
 If the former tramp was a severe one, it was as 
 nothing compared to that which now followed. It 
 surpassed anything that Arlos had ever undertaken. 
 
 His saturated garments dried upon his body, and 
 more than once he felt like protesting, but grimly 
 resolved to stand it as long as his companion, who 
 had proved himself more than once his superior in 
 athletic attainments. 
 
 They seemed to be climbing or descending all the 
 time. They leaped fissures and crevices, where a 
 slip would have been fatal, sprang across narrow 
 streams, picked their course through winding gorges 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 225 
 
 and ravines, following repeatedly every turn of 
 the compass, but whither they were going the 
 young paleface had no more idea than if blind. 
 
 It was with some depression of spirits that he 
 saw the afternoon drawing to a close without bring- 
 ing them in sight of his friend, whom he had been 
 confident of greeting long before. Still Arlos held 
 his peace, and sturdily tramped where Ka-lo-no 
 led. 
 
 Finally, they drew near the same canyon-like 
 stream which he had essayed to leap in imitation 
 of his guide, only to meet with his startling ex- 
 perience. 
 
 Arlos recognized it at a glance, for the similarity 
 was well-nigh perfect. He would have been certain 
 they had struck it at the same point, but for the 
 difference in the width, which was little more than 
 one-half of that which confronted them before. 
 
 Both leaped it without trouble, though the 
 Shoshone glanced queerly at his companion, as if 
 uncertain of his ability in that line. 
 
 A short distance further on they came to another 
 clump of trees with considerable undergrowth. 
 Ra-lo-no's manner indicated that he expected to 
 strike the trail again, and Arlos peered over his 
 shoulder, hoping to catch sight of his friend or 
 hear his voice. He and Yarnum of course had 
 
226 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 left their ponies somewhere else and were on 
 foot. 
 
 The Shoshone uttered an exclamation. The 
 gathering night made it so dark among the trees 
 that he stooped over to scrutinize the ground. 
 Arlos did the same, but failed to discover any of 
 the signs that had so interested him before. 
 
 Ra-lo-no moved hither and thither, but the trees 
 were so few in number that it took but a short time 
 to examine every portion of the grove. Then he 
 straightened up and indulged in another exclama- 
 tion. 
 
 " I see no signs of their having been here," said 
 Arlos to his friend, who instead of smiling looked 
 disappointed. 
 
 And that was the trouble with the Shoshone. 
 His face revealed his chagrin. "Where he expected 
 to find the two persons, he found none, nor was 
 there any evidence of their ever having been near 
 the place. 
 
 The most guarded, careful, and skillful man must 
 stumble at times. Ka-lo-no had made a blunder. 
 By the same course of reasoning which took him 
 to the right spot earlier in the day, he had now been 
 led to the wrong locality. Had he kept to the 
 trail, he might not have been where he was, but he 
 would have been on the right road. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 227 
 
 It was a grievous disappointment to Arlos Hay- 
 man, for hope had been growing all the time that 
 his body was weakening under the great strain. 
 He had been buoyed up by confidence until the 
 very moment when it all vanished. 
 
228 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE MEDICINE MAN. 
 
 AELOS took care that the faithful young guide 
 should not see any censure in his looks or manner. 
 Ra-lo-no was under no obligation to lend his serv- 
 ices to this hunt, yet he did so right willingly, and 
 had not spared himself. Though success was 
 deferred, there could be no doubt that it would be 
 attained in the end. 
 
 The immediate question with Arlos was as to the 
 next step of his friend. It was so late in the day 
 that he did not think he would try to retrieve his 
 mistake before the morrow. 
 
 Tough as was his frame, and remarkable as were 
 his powers of endurance, he must need rest. As 
 for hunger, Arlos had enough for both. 
 
 Ra-lo-no rallied from his depression with surpris- 
 ing quickness. lie paused, as had become his 
 custom, on the edge of the clump of trees in the 
 open air, where he gained an unobstructed view of 
 the country. 
 
 The care with which he studied his surroundings 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 229 
 
 led Arlos to believe that he had decided to make 
 another effort to find the man and youth in the 
 little time of daylight that remained. 
 
 " I'll stick to it as long as he does, for I know he 
 can't keep it up much longer. Keen as are his 
 eyes, they cannot follow a trail at night, and he will 
 soon give it up." 
 
 One possibility brought Arlos a slight degree of 
 hope. The guide had made an error in acting upon 
 the supposition that the missing ones had camped 
 at this spot. Possibly they would still do so. 
 
 In other words, the theory followed by the guide 
 had brought him to the place in advance of those 
 who would yet spend the night there. 
 
 A few minutes' thought, however, took away this 
 prop. Varnum Brown, while hunting for pleasure, 
 would not keep it up after night had come. He 
 must have already gone into camp and therefore 
 would not be here. 
 
 The Shoshone moved away with a more deliberate 
 step, though his manner indicated that he had in 
 mind exactly where he wished to go. 
 
 " Now, if he fixed upon .two camping sites," 
 thought Arlos, following the endless line of specu- 
 lation, "and the other was not too far off, there 
 would still be a chance of success, but that I fear is 
 too much to expect before the morrow." 
 
230 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Once or twice it struck the paleface that there 
 was something familiar in the objects passed. 
 Unable to understand how this could be, he laid it 
 to a natural coincidence of scenery and surroundings, 
 which was not singular. 
 
 Thus they tramped on, the darkness increasing 
 until progress became quite difficult, even for the 
 experienced guide. Arlos was about to propose 
 that they should stop, when the glimmer of a light 
 ahead showed that they were approaching some 
 camp. The explanation of the familiarity of several 
 of the landmarks was that Arlos Hay man had seen 
 them before, having passed them in the morning 
 when leaving the camp of the Shoshones. The 
 light which he observed came from the fires that 
 marked where the party had established their 
 quarters while hunting in this section of the Rocky 
 Mountains. 
 
 The return of the two youths seemed to create 
 no more interest than their departure. Ko-mo-mo 
 was not visible, and the others hardly looked up 
 from their various occupations. 
 
 Enough of the meat, which was never lacking, 
 had been prepared for the evening meal. Indeed 
 all seem to have partaken, for they were grouped 
 around, smoking their pipes, lolling on the ground, 
 some talking in their grunting, jerky manner, while 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 231 
 
 others were as grim and silent as if the power of 
 speech were denied them. 
 
 Ra-lo-no was at home in every sense of the word. 
 He first visited the tepee, perhaps to report to his 
 father. When he emerged, he was accompanied 
 by his sister, who helped to bring the broiled 
 venison to their guest and place it before him. 
 
 She was smiling and in good spirits, and the 
 brother and sister had much to say to each other. 
 
 Arlos was thoroughly tired. Nearly the whole 
 day had been spent in tramping over the rough 
 face of the country, the labor, as I have shown, 
 having been for a great deal of the time of the 
 severest nature. 
 
 When he stretched out on the blanket again 
 furnished him he felt as if he would not wish to 
 bestir himself for a week to come. 
 
 But he was not left to himself. He had lain but 
 a few minutes when he was disturbed by an extra- 
 ordinary occurrence. 
 
 One of the warriors drew aside the flap of the 
 tepee and fastened it in place, so that a glimpse of 
 the interior could be obtained, as revealed by the 
 glare of the campfire. While the youth, lying on 
 his side, was peering curiously into the gloomy 
 structure, the warrior that had opened the door 
 turned and beckoned to the one who, while acting 
 
232 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 as sentinel the previous night, had used him so 
 roughly. 
 
 Immediately the two entered the structure, 
 quickly reappearing with the form of another 
 warrior borne between them. 
 
 One glance at the face of the patient, as well as 
 t'.ie tender manner in which he was handled, showed 
 that he was either mortally ill or was suffering 
 from a grievous injury. 
 
 He was gently deposited on the ground in a half- 
 sitting posture, but he turned his head away, as if 
 he had lost all interest in the proceedings. One of 
 the attendants, who had helped bring him to the 
 spot, leaned over and looked into his drawn coun- 
 tenance. The other respectfully drew back and 
 silently watched the scene. 
 
 At this moment, when a hush rested upon all, 
 the medicine man of the tribe emerged from the 
 tepee and slowly walked into the open space in 
 front of the sufferer. He was fantastically arrayed, 
 with protruding feathers and the horns of a buffalo 
 amid his dangling hair. His trousers were loose 
 and ornamented with flapping fringes, and his feet 
 were bare. 
 
 Thrown into relief against the burning fagots be- 
 hind him, he formed a weird and striking figure, 
 made more so by his grotesque performances. 
 
LOST IN f frE kOCKIES. 233 
 
 He began a strange, swaying dance, swinging his 
 arms hither and thither, and leaping lightly from 
 place to place, his odd capering at times suggesting 
 that he had stepped upon a live coal. With the 
 first essay he began a low, monotonous chant to 
 which his hopping feet kept time. 
 
 This was Wau-mat-mo, the great medicine man of 
 the Shoshones, who was about to exorcise the evil 
 spirit that had taken possession of the warrior. In 
 the conflict of the previous day, which ended the 
 career of Jim Wagram, this buck had received a 
 wound which brought him nigh unto death's 
 door. 
 
 His friends were not averse to applying their 
 rude medical knowledge, in the form of bitter 
 drinks and medicinal herbs. His rugged frame and 
 powerful constitution were of great aid, but his con- 
 dition remained so serious that the services of the 
 medicine man were summoned as a last resort to 
 carry him over the crisis. 
 
 But for the presence of impending death, Arlos 
 would have smiled at the absurd antics of Wau-mat- 
 mo, which grew more vigorous as the minutes 
 passed. His chant held the same even monotone, 
 but his gestures became violent. 
 
 In the light of the campfire the perspiration 
 shone on his face and the upper part of his body. 
 
234 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The violent exertion was beginning to tell, even on 
 so indurate a warrior as the medicine man. 
 
 Arlos had taken his position among the specta- 
 tors, where he maintained the same grave expression 
 he saw on their countenances. Wearying of look- 
 ing at the cavort ings of the sorcerer, he fixed his 
 gaze upon the subject of them. 
 
 The buck who had been kneeling near his head 
 gently rose and stepped back among the group, 
 leaving the space clear. For a long time the suf- 
 ferer lay with his face turned away from the medi- 
 cine man, his dull, lack-luster eyes showing no 
 interest in the incantations. 
 
 Suddenly, however, the patient moved his head, 
 bringing it back so as to give him a view of Wau- 
 mat-mo. For the first time, the poor fellow began 
 to feel a faint interest in the proceedings. 
 
 This interest deepened. He watched the other 
 with a more persistent gaze. The sufferer's hands 
 moved, and he partly flung aside the blanket that 
 lay across the lower part of his body. The emotion 
 of the spectators was intense. They seemed hardly 
 to breathe, and glanced from the sufferer to the 
 medicine man and then back again. 
 
 The feelings of Arlos were scarcely less wrought 
 upon. There certainly was a change in the condi- 
 tion of the Indian. Could it be he was mending ? 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 235 
 
 Such seemed the fact, for the power of imagina- 
 tion over the body is well known, even among those 
 who lay claim to civilization. 
 
 Superb as is the self-control of the American Indian, 
 every one of the group gave a start and uttered a 
 suppressed exclamation, when the patient deliber- 
 ately rose to his feet, gathered up the blanket, and 
 carrying it in one hand, walked with dignity to the 
 tepee, stooped, entered, and passed from view. 
 
 It looked like a miracle. The warriors accepted 
 it as another proof of the supernatural power of 
 Wau-mat-mo, their medicine man, before whom 
 they were ready to fall down and worship. 
 
 With the withdrawal of the wounded warrior, 
 the sorcerer abruptly ceased his gymnastics, and 
 with the same stately tread, followed the patient 
 into the tepee, where he lowered the flap and shut 
 out all intrusion. 
 
 The whole performance had a peculiar interest to 
 Arlos Hayman, and at any other time would have 
 caused much speculation and entertainment; but 
 there is no resisting the demands of weary nature, 
 and hardly had the hush once more fallen upon the 
 camp, when he closed his eyes in refreshing slumber 
 which was not broken until the sun was again 
 shining in the heavens. 
 
 With the memory of the previous night's exhibi- 
 
236 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 tion still vivid, he was curious as to the permanence 
 of the effects of the incantations of Wau-raat-mo. 
 His curiosity was gratified, for, while Ea-lo-no was 
 preparing the morning meal, the wounded warrior 
 emerged from the tepee and moved about among 
 his friends. 
 
 He walked several rods in an irregular circle 
 which took in the extent of the camp, and then re- 
 turned and sat down on his blanket near Arlos, who 
 studied his countenance with close attention. 
 
 That he was still weak and in pain was certain, for 
 the most vivid imagination cannot work an actual 
 miracle, but his self-control was superb. It was 
 equally certain that he had passed the crisis and 
 was now beyond danger. 
 
 Several warriors approached him, and a few 
 words were uttered. Wau-mat-mo did not appear. 
 Probably he felt himself too exalted, and too supe- 
 rior to those of common clay to mingle freely with 
 them. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 237 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 THE SIGNAL FIKE. 
 
 THE feeling was strong upon Arlos Hayman that 
 a few hours were to bring the crisis in his hunt for 
 his friend Dolph Bushkirk. He did not see how it 
 could be otherwise ; for it was certain they were 
 close upon him the previous day, and would have 
 found the young man but for the single blunder of 
 Ba-lo-no, made too late to be retrieved. 
 
 The Shoshone could not repeat a mistake of that 
 nature. 
 
 For a long time the dusky guide seemed to pro- 
 ceed without any definite purpose. Arlos could 
 not recall that they had passed over any portion of 
 the ground on their previous tramp, and he sup- 
 posed his friend was searching for the trail he had 
 lost. 
 
 Probably two hours went by in this manner, the 
 traveling being of the roughest nature. Ea-lo-no 
 had not spoken or halted, but pushed on with the 
 
38 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 same steady, tireless gait that he seemed capable of 
 maintaining for days without fatigue. 
 
 Suddenly he made one of his abrupt halts, and 
 uttered the exclamation with which Arlos was be- 
 coming familiar, and which he knew was the 
 announcement that his guide had made some inter- 
 esting discovery. 
 
 By way of explanation to the paleface, who 
 stepped up beside him, the Shoshone extended his 
 hand toward a point several hundred yards distant. 
 
 Arlos saw only a mass of jumbled rocks and 
 stunted pines, sights which never seemed absent 
 from one's field of vision in that part of the world. 
 
 Failing to note anything that warranted the 
 interest of his guide, Arlos intimated the fact as 
 best he could. The Shoshone smiled and drew his 
 friend toward him. 
 
 Then he leveled his rifle, sighted it carefully, and 
 raising his head held the gun motionless and 
 invited Arlos to squint along the barrel. 
 
 He did so and then all became clear. A little 
 wisp of vapor, so fine as to be almost impalpable, 
 was filtering through the tops of the pines. 
 
 Arlos nodded. He understood it now. They 
 had approached another spot where a camp fire had 
 been burning some time before. Ka-lo-no smiled 
 and walked on. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 239 
 
 The result was pleasing and yet in a certain sense 
 exasperating. Arlos could no longer doubt that 
 they were close upon his friend, and yet Dolph 
 was out of range, nor did he know where to turn 
 to find him. 
 
 The ashes on being kicked apart revealed a 
 number of glowing embers. There were the bones 
 of some game cast aside after the campers had 
 cleaned them of their meat ; and once again Arlos 
 picked up a piece of envelope on which was the 
 business address of Dolph Bushkirk's father. 
 
 He concluded that his friend must be pretty well 
 supplied with that sort of fuel. 
 
 The tantalizing feature of the business was that 
 Dolph and his guide had spent the previous night 
 on this spot. There could be no question as to that ; 
 and since it was still early in the forenoon, they 
 were not far away, but in what direction he should 
 turn to find them he had not the remotest idea. 
 That must be solved by the young Shoshone. 
 
 Arlos, however, devoted several minutes to 
 studying the ground. In the immediate neighbor- 
 hood of the fire the footprints were plain. He 
 even believed he could recognize the spot where 
 the companions had spread their blankets, as well 
 as the positions occupied by each while acting as 
 sentinel, but that was all. 
 
240 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 On the margin of a clump of trees he was at sea 
 as to the course taken by the two who had left but 
 a short time before. 
 
 It seemed to Arlos that if he shouted Dolph must 
 hear him, yet he did not dare do that without the 
 consent of Ka-lo-no, for it might interfere with his 
 plans. He tried to ask for such permission, but the 
 achievement was beyond his skill in the sign lan- 
 guage upon which he had to depend. 
 
 He strove hard, but the blank expression on the 
 face of the Shoshone showed that he caught no idea 
 of his meaning; nor could Arlos make it any clearer, 
 so he gave over the attempt. 
 
 Ea-lo-no examined the ground, his companion 
 trying in vain to make out what it was he saw. 
 Then the guide moved off, glancing down so fre- 
 quently as to leave no doubt that he was following 
 the trail, instead of relying upon a theory as in the 
 former instance. 
 
 "He won't make any mistake this time," was 
 Arlos' conclusion. 
 
 But the trailing of a person or two persons is a 
 more difficult task than the youth had suspected. 
 Had they been traveling through the woods, where 
 the rumpled leaves showed, or across the open 
 prairie, on which the lightest foot makes an im- 
 pression, the Shoshone never would have been at 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 341 
 
 fault ; but enough has been told to indicate the 
 nature of the ground, over which they made their 
 way. 
 
 In many places the path led for a considerable 
 distance across the flinty surface of rocks and 
 bowlders, where the hunters never once touched 
 the earth. Had Dolph Bushkirk and Yarnum 
 Brown wished to hide their trail, they might have 
 done so beyond the possibility of the keen-eyed 
 Shoshone finding it. But they could have no such 
 thought. They were hunting as the inclination 
 led them, careless of where they placed their feet, 
 so long as they did not place them in any danger- 
 ous spot. 
 
 Thus Ra-lo-no found himself forced in many in- 
 stances to fall back on the plan of the day before. 
 Where the footprints vanished on the surface of a 
 series of rocks, he halted, glanced ahead, and then 
 decided what course had been taken by the hunters. 
 
 In these cases, how r ever, he did not grope for any 
 distance. On the previous day, he had " cut across 
 lots " without any attempt to keep the trail ; now 
 he clung to it, whenever and as long as it was pos- 
 sible to do so. 
 
 His acumen saved him from making another 
 blunder. When he stopped, he looked ahead and 
 around, and made up his mind as to the route fol- 
 
242 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 lowed by the others, and, as I have said, he was 
 right in each instance. Upon striking solid earth 
 again, he invariably came upon the impression 
 which showed where Brown and his friend had 
 again placed their feet. 
 
 "At any rate they will rest at noon, and then 
 we shall overtake them," Arlos told himself. 
 
 Arlos was watching his guide a few paces in 
 front, when he observed in a direct line with him, 
 and less than a fourth of a mile distant, the smoke 
 of another campfire. It was on more elevated 
 ground than the others, and in such plain view that 
 the Shoshone remained motionless for several 
 minutes with his eyes fixed upon it. 
 
 At first there was nothing noticeable in its appear- 
 ance. It was simply a distinct column of dark- 
 colored vapor, climbing into the sky from among 
 a mass of rocks. He had seen the same so often 
 since entering this section that he would have 
 thought nothing of it but for its position in a line 
 with the trail they were following. 
 
 The natural suspicion was that it had been kindled 
 by Brown and Bushkirk, and it is probable that the 
 same thought occurred to the Shoshone, for he 
 paused longer than usual while watching the vapor. 
 
 All at once it took upon itself a singular appear- 
 ance. The smoke, which had been ascending in a 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 243 
 
 regular, pointed line, growing thinner toward the 
 top as it dissolved in the clear air, now became 
 broken, and resembled puffs emitted from the mouth 
 of a piece of ordnance. 
 
 This continued until the composition of the entire 
 column had become changed in the same curious 
 manner. 
 
 The Shoshone was mystified. He had never seen 
 anything of the kind, or, if he had, failed to read 
 its meaning. It was clear that the peculiar con- 
 formation of the vapor was not due to itself. The 
 man or men who had started the fire must have 
 brought about the unnatural action of the smoke. 
 
 Suddenly the truth flashed upon Arlos Hayman. 
 This was the very signal which Budd Slogan had 
 warned him to be on the lookout for, instead of the 
 three reports of his rifle, which had served them 
 until now. 
 
 The fire had been started by Budd, who was 
 summoning his young friend to his side to receive 
 the important tidings he had for him. 
 
244 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE GOLD HTJNTEKS. 
 
 WE must now give our attention for awhile to 
 the movements of Budd Slogan. 
 
 A man who had spent the life of this guide and 
 hunter, coming in contact with the most reckless 
 characters on the frontier, where the only law is 
 that of might, sees many instances when his anger 
 is roused; but it may be doubted whether Budd was 
 ever more furious than when he made the discovery 
 that the bridles, saddles, minor articles, everything 
 in fact, except what he and Arlos Hay man hap- 
 pened to have with them, had been stolen. 
 
 Had the property been taken by Indians, or by 
 those against whom he was waging hostilities, his 
 resentment would not have been so intense; but 
 lie knew that Val Harper and his party were the 
 thieves. 
 
 He had not mentioned one fact to his young 
 friend, when the two were discussing the outlaws. 
 Only a short time before, Budd Slogan had inter- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 245 
 
 fered in Dead wood in behalf of Harper, when but 
 for such interference he would not have lived five 
 minutes. And this was the scoundrel's gratitude! 
 
 It was in the darkness of night that Budd strode 
 from the camp, bent on recovering his property 
 and bringing the criminals to account. 
 
 Had the sun been shining he might have made 
 his hunt effective from the first, for it would not 
 have taken him long to find trace of the guilty 
 ones, but so long as the gloom lasted he must in 
 some measure act upon the plan of Ea-lo-no and 
 push forward in accordance with the best theory 
 he could form. 
 
 Although Budd had seen several of the outlaws, 
 and in fact knew pretty much all about them, he 
 did not know where they made their camp, nor 
 would he have sought to learn but for this outrage. 
 He could make his way back to the grove where 
 the fierce encounter took place, but he would pick 
 up no information there. 
 
 He must keep moving, however, or his anger 
 would master him. 
 
 He recalled that when he last saw the ponies, 
 they were eating their way, as may be said, up the 
 valley, and, if undisturbed, would be in the neigh- 
 borhood of the falls near which the young Shoshone 
 had shot the antelope. 
 
246 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Of course they were not there, but he proceeded 
 thither and then turned to the right, picking his 
 course through the gloom as best he could, some- 
 times stumbling, climbing over obstructions, leaping 
 yawning crevices which ought to have checked 
 him, but all the time pushing onward, little caring 
 whither he went so long as he went somewhere. 
 
 Through the solemn stillness stole the soft murmur 
 of the waterfall, growing fainter as his footsteps 
 receded. Then the night was pierced by the long, 
 wavering howl of the mountain wolf, calling to 
 some comrade, or hunting for a victim for its 
 rapacious appetite. 
 
 Once Budd fancied he heard the shout of a man, 
 and stopped abruptly. It was not repeated, nor 
 could he decide the point whence it came, so he 
 pressed on. 
 
 He had no hope of coming upon anything that 
 would help him in the search before the following 
 morning. But the impulse which would not permit 
 him to sit down in idleness kept him moving with- 
 out any sensible fatigue. 
 
 Suddenly he caught the glimmer ofacampfire. 
 He stopped with a throb of awakened interest. 
 
 Could it be that fortune had led him to the right 
 spot ? Was he to be given the means of squaring 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 247 
 
 accounts without the tedious delay against which 
 his soul rebelled. 
 
 But Budd was too much of a veteran to count 
 upon easy success when all the probabilities were 
 against it. To whomsoever this camp belonged, 
 either white or red men, he needed not to be told 
 that a cat-like vigilance was maintained. Sentinels 
 were on duty and it would be hardly possible for a 
 serpent to glide over the ground without detection. 
 
 The guide therefore called all his skill into play. 
 If he should be discovered, the first notice was likely 
 to be a rifle shot. It is not the custom on the 
 frontier for a sentinel to challenge intruders and 
 wait for the password. He fires first and makes 
 his investigations afterward. 
 
 The glow of the fire was so faint and distant that 
 he could learn nothing about it without a closer 
 approach, which he proceeded to make in the 
 highest style of the art. 
 
 Crouching down until he seemed to be lying 
 almost on his face, he advanced inch by inch, and 
 with a tardiness which at times showed no progress 
 at all. His eyes were not likely to be of any help 
 for a while, and he depended wholly on his sense 
 of hearing. 
 
 That he failed to note any sound he accepted as 
 no proof that he was not in the immediate vicinity 
 
248 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 of an enemy. The outlaws, after their scrimmage 
 with the Shoshones, would exercise the same alert- 
 ness in guarding against surprise, and it would be 
 hard even for a veteran warrior to steal undetected 
 within striking distance. 
 
 He judged that he had crossed one half the in- 
 tervening space, when a shadow flitted between 
 him and the campfire. The glimpse was too brief 
 for him to see it clearly. 
 
 It was as if a bush had been swung before his 
 eyes. He knew, however, that it was not a bush 
 but a person. 
 
 Lying flat on the ground, intently peering into 
 the gloom, he observed it a second time. The head 
 and shoulders of some one were shown against the 
 firelight. He had been crouching, but not so low 
 as Budd, and now straightened up, disclosing the 
 upper part of his person. 
 
 He was standing still, as if listening, though the 
 hunter was certain that he had not betrayed him- 
 self by any sound, however faint. 
 
 But the sentinel might be listening for a sound 
 which had not yet been made. Aware of this, 
 Budd retained his prone position, not stirring a 
 muscle and hardly permitting himself to breathe. 
 
 Probably five minutes passed, when a confused 
 noise came from some point on the other side of 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 249 
 
 the camp. The hunter could not divine its nature, 
 but it was as if some person or animal were stamp- 
 ing on the ground. 
 
 The sentinel in front of Budd was quick to hear 
 it and did that which no sentinel should do, deserted 
 his post, moving quickly toward the fire and also in 
 the direction of the puzzling sounds. 
 
 This left a portion of the camp unguarded, and 
 Budd quietly stole far enough forward to observe 
 what was going on. 
 
 To his surprise, by the increasing glare of the 
 campfire, he recognized Ra lo-no, the young Sho- 
 shone, who had been acting as sentinel on the side 
 where Budd had tried to approach the camp unob- 
 served. Arlos Hay man and the other Indian, whom 
 Budd had seen earlier in the day in the grove, were 
 the remaining individuals that made up the curious 
 scene. 
 
 The hunter was puzzled at first, but a minute's 
 observation of the picture and a little reflection told 
 the story. Arlos had been captured while approach- 
 ing the camp from another direction, but, now that 
 his identity was known, he was in no danger. 
 
 " So the younker went off on a little tramp of his 
 own," thought Budd, smiling; "he must have 
 stumbled onto this 'ere camp as I done, which the 
 same was a lucky thing for the aforesaid younker. 
 
250 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 He's among friends, and I needn't think about him 
 till I get through with t'other chaps." 
 
 Having seen all that he cared to see, the guide 
 carefully withdrew from the locality, without his 
 presence being suspected by any of the Shoshones, 
 who maintained the keenest kind of a watch for 
 intruders. 
 
 It was not to be supposed that Yal Harper and his 
 men were in the neighborhood, for the taste which 
 they had received of the Shoshones would make 
 them chary about molesting the Indians further. 
 He must look for them elsewhere. 
 
 Nearly all that remained of the night was passed 
 by the guide in groping among the rocks, bowlders, 
 and wild places. Once he escaped by a hair's 
 breadth from tumbling over a precipice several 
 hundred feet deep. 
 
 By that time he had begun to feel the fatigue of 
 his severe work, so, hunting out a secluded spot, he 
 lay down and slept until daylight. He ran some 
 risk in doing this, but he was in the mood to take 
 almost any chances. Fortunately he was not dis- 
 turbed, and gained the rest needed even by his 
 hardened frame. 
 
 " I'm glad of one thing," reflected the hunter, as 
 he addressed himself to the work of the day, " and 
 that is that I haven't that vounker with me. If I 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 251 
 
 had, he would be so hungry by this time that he'd 
 be ready to eat his shoes. No business could be 
 'tended to till he had eat one of his big meals. I'm 
 just as hungry as him, but I can stand it, and I 
 don't lose any time huntin' fur game ; yes," he 
 grimly added, " I'm huntin' fur game, but it ain't 
 the kind the younker would want to meet." 
 
 It was clear that if Yal Harper and his party had 
 spent the night in the vicinity, they must have had 
 some sort of fire. Accordingly, the first thing 
 Budd did was to study every visible portion of the 
 sky for signs of the same. 
 
 He quickly saw that for which he was looking. 
 Barely half a mile distant, was the telltale smoke, 
 making its way into the clear sky, from a clump of 
 pines. The woodcraft of the guide revealed the 
 interesting fact that the spot was close to the scene 
 of the conflict between the Shoshones and the three 
 members of Yal Harper's gang. 
 
 " I shouldn't think they would be partial to that 
 latitude," muttered Budd, " and it may be that it 
 ain't them after all; howsumever, I'll soon find 
 out." 
 
 He used considerable care in going forward, 
 though he did not believe himself in much danger 
 of being seen by any one. A further advance made 
 known the curious fact that the camp which he 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 was approaching was in the same clump of trees in 
 which the fight had taken place. 
 
 He was surprised, for it was not clear why this 
 should be the case. He knew the camp did not 
 belong to the Shoshones, for they were a long way 
 off. They appreciated the truth that in union is 
 strength, and, though they might scatter and sepa- 
 rate during the day for the purpose of hunting, 
 every one of them would be together when night 
 came. 
 
 It would not be supposed that Yal Harper or any 
 of his men would spend the hours so near the scene 
 of their repulse, nor indeed would any one else 
 knowing the circumstances. 
 
 Near the edge of the small grove of trees, Budd 
 came in sight of the campfire. It was burning 
 brightly, but not a soul was near it. The sound of 
 voices, however, showed there were men somewhere 
 in the grove, and he pushed on. 
 
 A few minutes later he came upon a striking scene. 
 
 Beside the spot where had lain the lifeless 
 body of Jim Walgram was a newly-made grave, 
 into which it had been lowered. At the head of 
 the grave a small wooden cross was set in the 
 ground ; at the foot knelt a bareheaded man, and 
 on one side knelt another whose head was also 
 bared. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Between these, and a little back, stood a third 
 man, of strong and sturdy build, his head uncov- 
 ered, while he leaned upon a peculiar, two-pronged 
 pick. The shovel with which the grave had been 
 dug lay near the edge of the excavation. 
 
 The man kneeling at the head of the grave, and 
 who was of slighter build than the others, was pray- 
 ing. Budd saw his lips moving and heard his mur- 
 mured words, his countenance showing a solemn 
 and reverential demeanor. 
 
 Even the hardened hunter, who was little used to 
 such occurrences, was impressed by the scene. One 
 glance was sufficient to tell him that none of the 
 three men was a member of Yal Harper's party. 
 They were strangers in the place. 
 
 The hunter had no wish to intrude upon the men, 
 whom he respected for what they were doing. The 
 one laid away to rest was undeserving of considera- 
 tion, but it was charity to give it to him ; and with- 
 out hunting for particulars, and probably caring 
 nothing for them, these strangers had done their 
 duty. 
 
 The prayer finished, the man who had offered it 
 rose to his feet, replaced his hat, and began shovel- 
 ing dirt into the grave. His companions silently 
 watched him until the hollow was filled up. The 
 mound that rose above the level ground was 
 
264: LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 neatly smoothed off, and the kind work was 
 completed. 
 
 The three walked thoughtfully back to their 
 campfire and sat down. They did little talking, 
 acting as if the spell of the sad occasion was still 
 upon them. One began stirring the fire preparatory 
 to cooking their breakfast. 
 
 There was no need of hesitation, and Budd 
 Slogan, much impressed in favor of the three 
 strangers, walked forward and bade them good 
 morning. They looked at him curiously as he came 
 up, but returned his salutation with a courtesy 
 which left no doubt in his mind of his welcome. 
 
 Making known his name and the fact that he had 
 accompanied a young friend on a hunting excursion 
 to this part of the country, Budd added : 
 
 " May I make bold to ask who you folks might 
 be?' 7 
 
 " No honest man should be afraid to tell his name 
 and business," replied the leader of the party, who 
 was the sturdy member that kept his feet during 
 the prayer ; " my name is Wildman, the gentleman 
 on my right is Mr. Barnes, and the one on my left 
 Porter." 
 
 Each rose to his feet and shook Budd's hand, 
 expressing his pleasure at making his acquaint- 
 ance. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 255 
 
 " We are on the point of eating ; you haven't 
 breakfasted ?" 
 
 " Not yet." 
 
 " We shall be fortunate then in having your com- 
 pany ; sit down there and use your knife as we do. 
 We have no water handy, but it isn't far off, and 
 we can drink when we feel like it." 
 
 While they were eating, Mr. Wildman continued : 
 
 " We stayed here last night, never dreaming that 
 that dead body lay so near us till Mr. Porter was 
 moving around this morning and stumbled over it. 
 I saw the man had been shot, but I wondered how it 
 came about." 
 
 " I kin tell you," replied Budd, who thereupon 
 related the story of the fight between the outlaws 
 and the Shoshones. 
 
 " Then the man had no one to blame but himself. 
 Still, I'm glad we were able to put him under the 
 ground and cover him up. We shall all need a 
 similar service for ourselves some day." 
 
 " Are you tramping round the country looking for 
 people to plant ?" asked Budd. 
 
 "Why do you ask that question?" inquired 
 Wildman in turn, displeased with the inquiry. 
 
 " No offense ; I obsarve that you carry the tools 
 with you, which most people in these parts don't 
 do.' 5 
 
256 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The other smiled. 
 
 " It does look a little odd, I suppose ; but we are 
 gold hunters." 
 
 " Gold hunters !" repeated Budd in amazement ; 
 " there ain't no gold in this part of the Kooky 
 Mountains." 
 
 " We are beginning to think so, though my 
 friends and myself held different opinions until a 
 few days ago." 
 
 " What put the idea in your heads that you would 
 find the yaller stuff in Middle Park?" 
 
 Wildman looked into the face of his companions, 
 and all three blushed and smiled. 
 
 "Shall I tell him, boys?" he asked. 
 
 "Yes, out with it," replied Porter; "we haven't 
 committed any crime," 
 
 " Well, you will think us foolish, but Mr. Barnes 
 there had a dream three nights in succession that at 
 the base of a certain mountain in Middle Park was 
 a rich lead of genuine gold." 
 
 " Dunno as there was anything foolish about his 
 dreaming the same, but it was infernally foolish for 
 you to b'lieve the dream that fur to come out here 
 prospecting on the strength of it." 
 
 "Well, Porter had precisely the same dream only 
 a few nights after Barnes; how about that?" 
 inquired Wildman, with a smile. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 257 
 
 Budd shook his head. 
 
 "Don't make no difference if all your grandfathers 
 and grandmothers and cousins and aunts had the 
 dream there warn't nothing in it." 
 
 " I agree with you ; but I came upon a man who 
 described the spot to us, and said he knew there 
 was gold there." 
 
 " That's different," remarked Budd, beginning to 
 show interest in the narration, " provided the man 
 warn't lying to you." 
 
 Wildman laughed. 
 
 " It is well you put in that proviso, Mr. Slogan. 
 A man in Denver came to me one day, some 
 weeks ago, and told me he knew of a certain moun- 
 tain in Middle Park where there was enough gold 
 to make a hundred men so rich they wouldn't know 
 what to do with their money. I paid little atten- 
 tion to him, though he related an interesting story 
 of how he and three others were besieged by a 
 hundred Indians, several years since, whom they 
 stood off for a week. It was in digging up ground 
 and overturning stones and small bowlders for their 
 little fort that they made the discovery. 
 
 " Still I thought he was yarning, and would have 
 paid no more attention to him had he not described 
 the identical mountain which Barnes and Porter 
 had seen in their dreams, That set me to thinking. 
 
258 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 I questioned him closely, and when I found that his 
 story didn't vary a hair's breadth from theirs, why 
 I felt like believing it. He assured me that he 
 hadn't let any one else know about it and pledged 
 himself not to do so if I would pay him a hundred 
 dollars." 
 
 " Which the same you done, and I don't blame 
 you," remarked Budd Slogan. 
 
 " When I proposed to Porter and Barnes that we 
 should come out to Middle Park and prospect they 
 were quite willing. I didn't let them know any- 
 thing of the story I had heard, but allowed them to 
 think it was their dreams that influenced me. If I 
 had had sense enough to explain everything we 
 never would have come on this tomfool errand." 
 
 "How's that?" 
 
 " Why, that same fellow had made the acquaint- 
 ance of Porter and Barnes some days before, and in 
 talking about dreams he got the story from them. 
 They had no idea of acting on their dream, so they 
 didn't hesitate to let him know all about it. He 
 was a cunning rogue, for he drew out all he wanted, 
 and then worked his scheme on me. 
 
 " I never suspected anything until after we had 
 spent a week in . prospecting and digging. Then, 
 when my friends rallied me, I tried to justify myself 
 by relating the story and explaining the real 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 250 
 
 reason why I expected to find gold here. The 
 whole thing proved to be a fraud. We found a 
 mountain, after a long search, which corresponded 
 with the one my friends saw in their sleep, and we 
 began digging. We kept it up for a week, till 
 finally the hour came when we stopped, looked into 
 one another's faces, and broke into laughter. Then 
 we piled our luggage on the backs of our animals 
 and started home. We are thus far on the road. I 
 think we have had enough of gold-hunting in Mid- 
 dle Park to answer for the rest of our lives." 
 
 "I obsarveyou spoke of horses," remarked Budd, 
 " but I haven't seen none of 'em." 
 
 " No ; as if our disappointment was not enough, 
 they were stolen from us." 
 
 " How many had you ?" 
 
 " Only three ; we brought little baggage with us." 
 
 " When was they stole ?" 
 
 " We left them in a hollow, or small valley, where 
 there was plenty of grass and water ; the place isn't 
 far from here. Barnes and Porter went to the spot 
 yesterday morning, but they were gone, as were the 
 saddles and bridles which we had cached in the 
 rocks." 
 
 " Do you know who took 'em?" 
 
 " A large party of Indians is in the neighborhood 
 too large for us to molest. It looks as if we shall 
 
260 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 have to tramp to the nearest station on the Union 
 Pacific. Fortunately we have enough money to pay 
 our fares home." 
 
 " Your animals warn't stole by In j ins," said the 
 guide ; " I know the party, which the same is them 
 that give Jim Wagram, that you planted, his last 
 sickness. They're Shoshones and their honest. The 
 men that stole your horses is the gang that Jim be- 
 longed to ; Yal Harper, one of the worst men this 
 side of the Mississippi, is at their head. It was 
 him that persuaded two of his men to j'in him in an 
 attack on the redskins, when they got the worst of 
 it. They've stole the two ponies belonging to me 
 and the younker that came with me ; likewise the 
 saddles and bridles and sich things. I've set out to 
 get them animals back and I'm going to do it." 
 
 There could be no mistaking the earnestness of 
 this declaration. With the recurring memory of 
 the outrage, all of Budd Slogan's overwhelming 
 anger returned. He leaped to his feet with flashing 
 eyes, and glared right and left, as if eager for a 
 sight of the men who had made him the victim of 
 this wrong. 
 
 Wildman looked at him with a curious expression 
 on his face. 
 
 "Now if it turns out that you are right and 
 there is no reason why it shouldn't what is to pre- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 261 
 
 vent our going into the business as full partners on 
 the ground floor with you ?" 
 
 " That hits me right," was the pleased answer of 
 Budd ; " I expected you to say them words, or 
 something meaning the same, and if you hadn't I'd 
 set you down as a pack of cowards that desarve 
 your loss." 
 
 "What do you say, boys?" asked the leader, 
 turning to his companions, whose interest in the 
 affair was as deep as his own. 
 
 " The information that Mr. Slogan has given leaves 
 no other course open," was the reply of Barnes ; 
 " you know I have been in favor of an effort against 
 the Indians, even though they so much outnumber 
 us." 
 
 Porter nodded his head, adding : 
 
 " Nothing will suit me better. The dream busi- 
 ness, and the trick played on us by that rogue in 
 Denver, make me feel as if we must not go home 
 without making a demonstration of some kind." 
 
 " That settles it !" remarked Budd, highly satisfied. 
 " I obsarve likewise, as aforesaid, that each of you 
 has a ch'ice Winchester of the best brand." 
 
 " We would hardly venture into this part of the 
 Union," said Wildman, " without being well pro- 
 vided in that respect. We have rifles and revolvers, 
 and though it may not be becoming in me to say it, 
 
262 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 we don't need to be taught how to use them. Do 
 you know how many outlaws there are?" 
 
 " There's something queer about 'em ; a few days 
 ago there was seven or maybe more ; but I reckon 
 there's been a quarrel and split among 'em ; for so 
 fur as I've been able to larn, only three was in 
 these parts, and you've planted one of 'em, so there's 
 but two left. That's only my impression, howsum- 
 ever ; there may be more, but what's the odds any 
 way ?" 
 
 " Nothing, only it must affect our way of going 
 about the work. Is it not probable that, since these 
 men have stolen five horses at least, and that it was 
 done more than twenty-four hours ago, they may 
 have started for home and may be miles on the 
 road at this very hour?" 
 
 This contingency had presented itself to Budd 
 Slogan more than once. In fact, it was one of the 
 reasons why he showed such great haste in hunting 
 the thieves. If Yal Harper and his companions had 
 gone eastward, they were already so far on the way 
 that it was useless to follow them. 
 
 " I don't deny that it may be as you say, and if 
 it is, the jig's up; but that is one of them things 
 we've got to find out for ourselves, and we'll do it 
 afore the sun goes down." 
 
 "It occurs to me," observed Wildman, who 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 263 
 
 showed himself to be an unusually intelligent man, 
 "that the most promising course is to go clown the 
 valley to the trail which they would be likely to 
 follow. If we see no signs of their having pre- 
 ceeded us, we may conclude that they are still in 
 the mountains. We can then work back with the 
 certainty either of meeting them or coming upon 
 their camp, and one is as much in our favor as the 
 other." 
 
 "Them's sensible words," was the comment of 
 Budd Slogan ; " there couldn't be a better plan than 
 yours and we'll foller it now." 
 
264 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIII. 
 
 ALL BEADY. 
 
 THERE was no cause for any delay. The gold- 
 hunters left shovel, picks, and all digging imple- 
 ments behind, carrying only their weapons and a 
 few trifling articles which were strapped in bundles 
 and slung across their shoulders. They showed no 
 signs of timidity or hesitation ; their coolness, de- 
 liberation, and readiness bespoke the staying quali- 
 ties which a leader in a desperate enterprise loves 
 to see in his followers. 
 
 Naturally Budd Slogan took the lead, Wildman 
 coming next, the four emerging from the grove in 
 Indian file. In the clear air there was a minute's 
 halt, while the eyes of all swept the sky for signs 
 of the outlaws. 
 
 Nothing was observed that could give them the 
 clew they sought, and the tramp was continued in 
 the direction of the valley where Budd bad turned 
 the animals loose. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 265 
 
 The party did not lose sight of one fact which 
 was not a comforting one; it would take several 
 days to examine the outlets, by any one of which 
 the criminals could leave the region. The utmost 
 the pursuers could hope to do was to investigate the 
 places where they seemed most likely to find traces 
 of them. 
 
 The first thing done was to make as thorough an 
 inspection as possible of the trail by which Budd 
 and Arlos Hayman had entered the section. This 
 was so broad that a number of hours passed before 
 it was completed to the satisfaction of the guide. 
 
 The truth was established that no horseman had 
 gone out of the mountains by that route for a 
 number of days past. 
 
 " That is," explained Budd, " onless they backed 
 their animals out, which the same I don't think 
 likely they done, being as they must have been in a 
 hurry." 
 
 It will be understood how perfectly the veteran 
 hunter did his work, when it is stated that, despite 
 the disturbances that took place afterward, he 
 traced the trail of the ponies ridden by Arlos and 
 himself when entering the mountains several days 
 before, but, as he stated, failed to discover any 
 footprints leading outward. 
 
 All that was proved by this was that the men 
 
266 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 whom they were seeking had not left by that route. 
 They had either taken another or were still among 
 the mountains. 
 
 Budd now decided to examine another pass, or 
 rather portion of a pass, which lay a little distance 
 to the south. This would consume most of what 
 was left of the day, but he felt that it ought to be 
 done. Although, as shown, such examination could 
 not decide beyond perad venture the actual state of 
 affairs, it was agreed to act upon the theory that if 
 the outlaws had not left by that route they had not 
 left at all, but were still where they could be found. 
 
 If they had gone they were too far off to be pur- 
 sued by any party on foot. If they were in the 
 mountains the four could afford to be deliberate in 
 making their search for them. 
 
 "With the same thoroughness as before Budd 
 Slogan inspected the second outlet, and with a 
 similar result. 
 
 " I'm purty sartin of one thing," he said when the 
 work was finished : " the men that we want is still 
 behind us. They don't fancy that any of 'em as 
 has had their animals stole is going to make a fuss 
 over it, and which the same being the case, they 
 ain't in any hurry to make it easier fur the law- 
 officers to lay hands on ? em." 
 
 "What a pity we could not have learned this 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 26? 
 
 truth earlier in the day," remarked Wildman, noting 
 that the shadows of coming night were closing 
 round them; "we can't accomplish much before 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " It doesn't look as if we kin, but what's that?" 
 
 To the astonishment of the four, while they were 
 discussing matters, four horsemen appeared. 
 
 They were approaching in Indian file from the 
 direction of the mountains, their animals on a walk. 
 One searching glance of Budd Slogan identified 
 them as members of Yal Harper's party. All wore 
 slouch hats, were muscular, brawny, bearded, and 
 " well heeled." 
 
 When they came in sight, it was from behind a 
 pile of rocks, some two hundred yards distant, their 
 horses headed so that a meeting with the footmen 
 was inevitable, unless the outlaws made a decided 
 change of course. 
 
 "That's some of 'em," remarked Budd in an 
 undertone ; " make sartin that your shootin' irons 
 is ready ; they're a bad lot." 
 
 " Is Yal Harper among them ?" inquired Wildman. 
 
 " I'm purty sartin he isn't ; his place would be at 
 the head, and the man there ain't him. I can't 
 make out the faces of the two at the rear ; " no," 
 suddenly added the guide, " he ain't with 'em." 
 
 The horsemen of course had been equally quick 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 to observe the four men standing together a short 
 distance away. The former showed no timidity, 
 but rode forward with their animals at the same 
 deliberate gait. 
 
 Budd Slogan acted upon a sudden thought. He 
 had recognized the leader of the party as Dave 
 Glascoe, a desperate man, whom he knew in Santa 
 Fe years before. Budd decided to have a talk with 
 him and his companions without the presence of the 
 gold-hunters. It would thus be easier to obtain the 
 information he wanted. 
 
 " Wait for me," he said, moving off at a brisk 
 walk toward the horsemen, who watched him closely, 
 as he drew near. 
 
 " Hello, Dave !" called Budd, while several rods 
 distant, making the military salute he had learned 
 in the army ; " stop a minute, won't you ?" 
 
 " I don't know whether I will or won't," growled 
 the other, who nevertheless reined up his horse, the 
 others doing the same. 
 
 Budd had noticed that neither his pony nor that 
 of Arlos Hayman was with the other party. As 
 Wildman announced that he saw none of their 
 animals either, the guide suspected that Glascoe 
 and his companions had quarreled with Yal Harper 
 and left him. At any rate, he now acted upon this 
 supposition. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 269 
 
 Glascoe had recognized his old acquaintance, but 
 was surly, and showed no pleasure at meeting him. 
 His answers were in monosyllables, but he gradually 
 thawed under the infectious good nature of Budd, 
 who exerted himself to draw the other out. 
 
 When this had been done by recalling some of 
 their old adventures and experiences, the guide 
 came to the point. 
 
 " Dave, I'm looking for Val Harper ; do you know 
 where he is ?" 
 
 " Yes," replied the horseman with an expletive ; 
 " it won't do for him and me to meet." 
 
 " There'll be trouble when I see him." 
 
 " Pm glad to hear it ; what's the row ?" 
 
 " He's got some horseflesh that belongs to me." 
 
 " Shouldn't wonder ; he and Bill Goodwin haven't 
 been doing much else since they've been into the 
 mountains. You see, it's their business, and when 
 their eyes light on an animal with four legs their 
 fingers itch till they git him." 
 
 " How many has he stole since he's been here ?" 
 
 " Five." 
 
 " And they all b'long to friends of mine." 
 
 " And you want to find him ?" 
 
 " I'm bound to do it if I have to hunt a month." 
 
 " You needn't do that. We fellers had trouble 
 with him. It come purty near to a fight, but Yal 
 
270 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 flunked ; so we pulled out and left him alone. You 
 understand we've got to look out for ourselves," 
 added Glascoe with a grin. 
 
 " Of course ; IVe nothing to do with that. Can 
 you tell me where I'll find him and Goodwin ?" 
 
 " We left 'em back yonder, not fur from the 
 wood where they had the fight with the Shoshones 
 and Jim Wagram passed in his checks. I can't tell 
 the exact spot, for I don't s'pose they'll keep in one 
 place, but they're getting ready to pull out. I 
 think they'll leave to-morrow or next day." 
 
 " All right ; they kin go as soon as they please 
 after I've settled with 'em." 
 
 " Is that all ?" 
 
 " That's all ; good luck to you." 
 
 " The same to you ; s'long." 
 
 They saluted as before, and the horsemen rode 
 on. Before they had disappeared, Budd Slogan 
 rejoined his friends. 
 
 " Come boys ; I've as good as struck their trail 
 You're ready, ain't you ?" 
 
 " Keady and waiting," replied Wild man, his com- 
 panions nodding their heads to indicate that there 
 was no disagreement on that point. 
 
 And yet, despite the promising outlook, the night 
 came and passed without the discovery of Harper 
 and Goodwin, who had made a change of quarters. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 271 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 ARLOS HAYMAN could not suppress an exclamation 
 of delight when he recognized the signal-fire of his 
 old friend Budd Slogan. His actions and gestures 
 indeed were so expressive that Ka-lo-no, who 
 watched him closely with an amused grin for a few 
 minutes, read what it all meant. He nodded his 
 head and started at a rapid walk in the direction of 
 the waving smoke, Arlos keeping by his side instead 
 of following at his heels as was his custom. 
 
 But a terrifying interruption came within the 
 next five minutes. From behind a craggy rock on 
 their right, a rasping voice called the most startling 
 order that ever strikes a person's ears in the West : 
 
 " Hands up ! manos a ribas /" 
 
 The last three words are Spanish, meaning the 
 same as the first two. They were uttered for the 
 benefit of the Shoshone, who showed he understood 
 them by instantly dropping his rifle and elevating 
 
2?'2 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 both hands. Arlos Hayman was hardly a second 
 behind him in doing the same thing. 
 
 Turning their affrighted gaze toward the point 
 whence the command had come, they saw the rifle- 
 barrel of a Winchester leveled at them, and at the 
 stock were the slouch hat, the bearded face, and 
 the gleaming eyes of Yal Harper, who certainly 
 " had the drop " on them. 
 
 The fact that one man had thus caught the youths 
 off their guard caused Ka-lo-no to glance down at 
 his rifle, lying at his feet. There can be little 
 doubt that he would have made a lightning-like 
 attempt to regain it, but for a second voice which 
 came from the rear of where he stood : 
 
 " None of that, redskin ! "We've got you dead to 
 rights has Val and me." 
 
 And Bill Goodwin rose from behind a smaller 
 bowlder, grinning, and with his weapon also 
 aimed. 
 
 "Wai, Yal, what's to be done with these two 
 catamounts," he called to his companion. 
 
 Before replying, the miscreant, still holding his 
 weapon ready for instant use, took a couple of steps 
 toward the two prisoners. 
 
 " Pick up them guns, first, Bill ; I wouldn't trust 
 that Shoshone wildcat fur a second." 
 
 " Nor would I either," remarked Goodwin, who 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 273 
 
 lost no time in gathering up the rifles, after which 
 he recoiled a step and grinned. 
 
 " You kin stop reachin' fur the stars now," said 
 Yal Harper, " though you may have a pistol or two 
 about you, but it don't matter." 
 
 " What do you mean by stopping us in this man- 
 ner?" demanded Arlos, showing more courage than 
 was really in his heart; "we have done you no 
 harm, and we have friends that will prevent your 
 harming us." 
 
 "You have, eh?" sneered Yal Harper. ""Wai, 
 they'd better show up purty soon or they'll be too 
 late. Them Shoshones are a good distance off, and 
 as fur Budd Slogan, I'd like to have him show up 
 now ! " 
 
 And the desperado glared around as if really 
 anxious to see the man whom he hated, for the 
 reason perhaps that the man had proved himself 
 his friend. 
 
 Ea-lo-no deliberately retreated to the bowlder 
 from behind which Goodwin had emerged, and sat 
 down. It was a cool proceeding, but seeing there 
 no objection made to it, Arlos did the same. 
 
 Goodwin had placed the captured guns against 
 the other rock, so they were beyond the reach of 
 either of the prisoners, who were thus sitting while 
 their captors stood triumphant in front of them. 
 
274 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 The Shoshone made no attempt to speak, but his 
 companion believed the only hope for them was to 
 frighten the two desperadoes from carrying out 
 their dreadful intentions. 
 
 " They may not be in this spot at this moment," 
 he said, " but they soon will be, and if you harm a 
 hair of our heads, your lives will pay for it !" 
 
 Yal Harper laughed as if it were all a good joke. 
 
 " Do you hear that, Bill ? Budd Slogan will wipe 
 you and me out if we don't take off our hats to 
 these chaps and step out of their path when they're 
 coming our way. Wai, wal, wal !" 
 
 " I s'pose Budd can travel on foot faster than we 
 kin on the back of his hoss and yours too, younker," 
 observed Goodwin, referring to their recent exploit 
 in the thieving line by which Arlos and his friend 
 had lost their animals. 
 
 " He will travel fast enough to overtake you, 
 Yal Harper! You know what he is when he is 
 your friend ; you will soon learn what he is when 
 an enemy !" 
 
 " You can talk big when we let you talk, but 
 you've chinned 'bout long 'nough." 
 
 It was at this moment that the Shoshone made a 
 slight but singular movement. He was in Arlos' 
 field of vision, and he saw him slant his head 
 slightly. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 275 
 
 He had observed the same thing before and 
 learned its meaning ; the Indian had caught some 
 sound, though the ear of the white youth failed to 
 detect anything, and neither of the captors noted it. 
 
 "You played it low down on me," remarked Yal 
 Harper, whose face now lost its leering grin and 
 took on a sinister expression, " but you'll never do 
 it agin." 
 
 " We might have killed you, but we spared your 
 life." 
 
 " Some things is as bad as shootin' and what you 
 done was one of 'em. I never forgit anything of 
 that sort, and Bill and me is pardners. Am I right, 
 Bill ?" 
 
 " Well, I ruther guess you be, but I'm gettin' 
 tired of this, Yal." 
 
 " What do you intend to do with us ?" asked Arlos. 
 
 " Give you the 'witch's parole,' " was the reply. 
 
 Arlos knew the frightful meaning of this declara- 
 tion. He and Ka-lo-no were to be told to run for 
 their lives, and, as they ran, their captors would 
 raise their rifles and shoot them down. Such 
 things were done during the late war, and in some 
 parts of the country it was known as the " witch's 
 parole." 
 
 " Do you intend to murder us ?" asked Arlos. 
 
 " We hain't said that, younker," was the answer ; 
 
276 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 " Bill and me don't murder nobody ; that ain't the 
 right word to use. You and that sarpent mebbe 
 now kin run faster than a bullet. Anyhow you're 
 going to have the chance to try it !" 
 
 Again Ra-lo-no slanted his head and partly rose 
 to his feet. Thinking, in the excitement of the 
 moment, that he was about to start on his hopeless 
 dash for life, Arlos caught his arm and forced him 
 back. 
 
 " Stay where you are !" he commanded, forgetting 
 that his words were not intelligible, though his act 
 must have been. 
 
 " No need of that," said Bill Goodwin ; " you've 
 both got to make the run and you might as well 
 start now as to wait. The sooner the thing's begun 
 the sooner it's over." 
 
 Arlos' face paled. Was there no help? Were 
 he and his companion to be slain in cold blood? 
 Was this to be the awful end of his jaunt for health 
 and pleasure, thus to be shot like a wild beast in 
 the woods ? 
 
 He could not move any more than could the 
 bowlder upon which he was sitting. 
 
 The Shoshone was fidgeting in a curious manner. 
 Could it be that he understood what was going on ? 
 
 Suddenly the mental and bodily powers of Arlos 
 Hay man came back to him. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 277 
 
 "Val Harper and Bill Goodwin," said he in a 
 low, measured voice, " neither I nor my friend will 
 obey you; you can do nothing with us; we are 
 your masters !" 
 
 For the youth had made a discovery, and had full 
 warrant for his astounding declaration. Something 
 moved among the trees a little to the left and just 
 beyond Yal Harper. That which Ka-lo-no had 
 heard was the cautious stirring of a figure, though 
 no one else caught the sound. 
 
 A young man, apparently about the age of Arlos, 
 stepped silently from behind a tree and aimed his 
 rifle at Yal Harper. At the same moment, his 
 companion, who seemed to be a hardy hunter, 
 advanced with the same noiselessness into view and 
 sighted his weapon at Goodwin. 
 
 It was this man whose voice rang out loud and 
 clear. 
 
 " Up with your hands, both of you !" 
 
 A bolt from the clear sky could not have startled 
 the miscreants more. The weapons of both seemed 
 to drop from their nerveless hands, which retained 
 only enough vitality to be extended tremblingly 
 upward. 
 
 A horrible grimace came over the face of Yal 
 Harper, and he emitted a giggling sound meant for 
 a laugh, but with anything but mirth in it. 
 
278 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 "We was only foolin' with 'em," he managed 
 to say. 
 
 "No; we didn't mean nuthin," added Goodwin. 
 
 " All I've got to say to you chaps is git !" 
 
 The hunter was as grim as fate, and neither he 
 nor his youthful companion changed the aim of 
 their weapons which covered both men. 
 
 " We'll do that, of course, bein' as you say it and 
 I s'pose mean it ; but you'll let us have our hosses 
 and guns ?" 
 
 " Git !" thundered Yarnum Brown, with a flash 
 of his small gray eyes and a threatening toying 
 with his Winchester. 
 
 The two men who had the tables turned upon 
 them so completely, stayed not on the order of their 
 going, but went. 
 
 Ay, went with a vengeance. They broke into 
 a rapid run, never looking behind them, but, believ- 
 ing it was the " witch's parole " that had been given 
 them, strove with desperate haste, expecting every 
 minute to hear the crack of the leveled rifles and 
 to feel the fatal sting of the bullets. 
 
 Such, too, was the expectation of Arlos Hay man 
 and Ra-lo-no, who held their breath and waited for 
 the flash and report of the weapons. 
 
 But neither fired. The miscreants deserved no 
 mercy, but it was shown them nevertheless, and 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 279 
 
 the watchers laughed at the panic of the wretches 
 who ran as never before. 
 
 The Shoshone was disappointed at the considera- 
 tion shown the men, who would have murdered him 
 and his friend but for this timely interference. 
 
 With an exclamation in his own tongue, Ra-lo-no 
 bounded forward, caught up his gun from where it 
 was leaning against the bowlder, aimed at Yal 
 Harper, and fired. 
 
 The fugitive uttered a wild screech, leaped several 
 feet in the air, but kept on running as before. The 
 Shoshone had winged him, but inflicted only a 
 painful hurt, having done which he lowered his gun 
 and shook with laughter. 
 
 The men, continuing their flight, soon vanished 
 from sight and were seen no more. 
 
 Then the happy Arlos Hay man turned and shook 
 the hand of Dolph Bushkirk, whom he had searched 
 for so long, and who finally appeared at a crisis in 
 his fate. He was then introduced to Yarnum 
 Brown, the hunter and guide, who remarked : 
 
 " I don't feel that we done quite right in letting 
 them two scamps go, but we couldn't shoot 'em in 
 their tracks as they desarved. Howdy, younker ?" 
 
 This was addressed to the grinning Ra-lo-no, who 
 accepted the hand of the man and the youth in 
 turn, though he could not talk intelligibly to them. 
 
280 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 Arlos quickly made known what had taken place, 
 and it need not be said that the meeting between 
 him and Dolph was of the most happy nature. 
 
 While they were exchanging experiences, Budd 
 Slogan came forward, and another pleasant inter- 
 change and explanation followed. 
 
 " I signaled to you," he said, addressing Arlos, 
 " but you were so long comin' I set out to larn the 
 reason fur the same." 
 
 " And you have just learned it ; it was a blessed 
 providence indeed." 
 
 " So it war, younker, so it war." 
 
 Budd now related how he came to meet the gold- 
 hunters, and how only a short time before they 
 came upon the stolen horses, tethered in a secluded 
 spot. The others took possession of their own 
 animals and, bidding their friend good-by, set out 
 homeward, well satisfied with the ending of their 
 luckless hunt for the precious metal which had 
 brought them so far into the wilderness. 
 
 Harper and Goodwin had not only been compelled 
 to leave their animals behind, but also their rifles. 
 How they emerged from their misfortune the others 
 never learned, for it was a matter of indifference to 
 them. 
 
 Ka-lo no stood quietly looking on, his broad face 
 lit up by a pleasing smile, while his friends chat- 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 281 
 
 tered, and then, turning to Budd Slogan, the two 
 talked together for several minutes. 
 
 " The younker says he wishes you well," explained 
 Budd, turning to the youths, " and that he must 
 bid you good-by. He feels it, but he's an Injin, and 
 tharfur won't show it." 
 
 The young Shoshone shook hands all around, 
 with the same fixed smile on his dusky countenance. 
 He left Arlos to the last, and, when their hands 
 clasped, they remained thus. Turning about, they 
 slowly walked a few paces, their palms still closed. 
 Suddenly the young Indian stopped, and, pressing 
 the hand of Arlos, said, with startling intensity : 
 
 " God bless, Arlos God bless, Arlos !" 
 
 It fairly took away the breath of Arlos to hear 
 himself addressed in this manner. Where Ra-lo-no 
 had picked up these words it was impossible to 
 guess, except that he had caught the name of his 
 young friend from hearing others pronounce it. It 
 looked as if the touching invocation had been 
 gradually crystallizing in his brain until now it found 
 expression. 
 
 Looking straight into the black eyes, Arlos saw 
 a suspicious moisture which he had never expected 
 to see. Warmly returning the pressure, he responded: 
 
 " God bless you, Ra-lo-no ! God bless you, I say !" 
 
 The young Shoshone drew away his hand, looked 
 
282 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 keenly at Arlos for several seconds, and seemed to 
 be struggling to frame other words into utterance ; 
 but he must have felt it was useless, for, turning 
 about, he walked rapidly away. Arlos stood motion- 
 less and watched him as he moved briskly off, 
 expecting him to look back for a final salutation ; 
 but he did not. At last he passed from view, and 
 Arlos Hayman never saw him again. 
 
 Turning about, the youth rejoined his friends, 
 who were curiously watching the scene. 
 
 "He proved himself a true friend to me," said 
 Arlos, in explanation, " and I am sorry to part with 
 him ; but, Dolph, I am delighted to meet you." 
 
 " No more delighted than I am to meet you," was 
 the hearty response. " If I had thought there was 
 any use of repeating my invitation to join me on 
 this hunt I would have done so ; but you cut me off 
 so short the first time that I gave it up." 
 
 " Well, I made a dunce of myself and paid dearly 
 for it. My health broke down, and the doctor said 
 I must do something like this or die, so I concluded 
 it would be a foolish thing to die while it was in my 
 power to live. I started for Denver to ask you to 
 join me on a hunt, but when I reached your house I 
 learned that you had been gone for a week. Your 
 father met me at the station and explained matters 
 for I had telegraphed him and since then Budd 
 
The young Shoshone walked rapidly away and Arlos never saw him again. 
 Page 382. 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 283 
 
 and I have spent most of the time in hunting for 
 you." 
 
 " It is certain that you found one thing for which 
 you were hunting." 
 
 "What is that?" 
 
 " Your rugged health and strength ; I never saw 
 you look better." 
 
 " I am glad to hear you say that, for then my 
 business in this part of the world is done ; I do feel 
 like a new fellow, all over, except that I am a little 
 homesick." 
 
 " I think I have had a touch of that myself," 
 laughed Dolph, " and, therefore, I beg to lay a prop- 
 osition before this honorable body," he added, look- 
 ing from one to the other, " and the same is that we 
 strike a bee line as nearly as possible for the Miner's 
 Delight at Central City, with a view of keeping on 
 to Denver and the metropolis of the United States. 
 
 Manifestly this was the only thing to do, and the 
 four horsemen, in buoyant spirits, were soon making 
 their way homeward. Their increased number, and 
 the presence of two such veterans as Budd Slogan 
 and Yarnum Brown, removed all misgivings from 
 the youths, who laughed and chatted over old times, 
 and made enough engagements to keep them 
 occupied for several years to come. 
 
 Belix Jenkins, of the Miner's Delight, gave the 
 
284 LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 party a rousing reception when the four dismounted 
 in front of his hostelry. With a resounding slap 
 upon the back of Arlos he said : 
 
 " Younker, if any chap invites you to drink, and 
 you don't, and there's a rumpus, don't expect me to 
 back you up, for I won't." 
 
 "How is that, Belix?" 
 
 " 'Cause you don't need it ; you can take care of 
 yourself agin any man in Central City, or this side 
 of the Rockies. Do you grasp the idea, younker ?" 
 
 No compliment could have been more pleasing to 
 Arlos, who laughed so loud and long that the others 
 had to join him. 
 
 The party divided at Central City, Yarnum Brown 
 and Budd Slogan remaining behind. Arlos paid his 
 guide the full amount agreed upon, and added a 
 handsome present beside. He tried to do the same 
 with the genial giant, Belix Jenkins, but he would 
 not permit it. When Arlos and Dolph entered the 
 wabbling stage the next day and swung out of the 
 frontier town, they carried with them the best 
 wishes of the landlord, the guides, and all whom 
 they had met in the place. 
 
 At Denver Arlos left the train with Dolph and 
 spent several days with him in that city, whose 
 growth and prosperity are among the wonders of 
 the great West. Finally, he set out for home, 
 
LOST IN THE ROCKIES. 285 
 
 where his ruddy cheeks, bright eyes, and elastic 
 frame made it almost seem to his overjoyed parents 
 and sister as if he had risen from the grave. When 
 Dr. Kleinman dropped in he surveyed the youthful 
 athlete from head to foot and remarked : 
 " Humph ! I told you so," 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 but are saved by the unfailing courage of their boy protector. 
 
 " Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy , may fairly be said to beat Mr. 
 Henty's record. His adventures will delight boys by the audacity and peril 
 they depict. . . . The story is one of Mr. Henty's best." Saturday 
 Review. 
 
 With Wolfe in Canada ; or, The Winning of a Continent. By 
 G. A. HENTY. With full -page Illustrations by GORDON 
 BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 In the present volume Mr. Henty gives an account of the strug- 
 gle between Britain and France for supremacy in the North 
 American continent. On the issue of this war depended not only 
 the destinies of North America, but to a large extent those of the 
 mother countries themselves. The fall of Quebec decided that 
 the Anglo-Saxon race should predominate in the New World; 
 that Britain, and not France, should take the lead among the 
 nations of Europe; and that English and American commerce, the 
 English language, and English literature, should spread right 
 round the globe. 
 
 " It is not only a lesson in history as instructively as it is graphically told, 
 but also a deeply interesting and often thrilling tale of adventure and peril by 
 flood and field." Illustrated London News. 
 
 True to the Old Flag : A Tale of the American War of Inde- 
 pendence. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustratiops by 
 GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 In this story the author has gone to the accounts of office 1 whj 
 took part in the conflict, and lads will find that in no war in \\ hich 
 American and British soldiers have been engaged did they behave 
 with greater courage and good conduct. The historical portion of 
 the book being accompanied with numerous thrilling adventures 
 with the redskins on the shores of Lake Huron, a story of exciting 
 interest is interwoven with the general narrative and carried 
 through the book. 
 
 " Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British & Sldiers during 
 the unfortunate struggle against American emancipation. Tht son of an 
 American loyalist, who remains true to our flag, falls among the hostile red 
 skins in that very Huron country which has been endeared to us by , L he ex- 
 ploits of Hawkeye and Chingachgook." The Times. 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Lion of St. Mark : A Tale of Venice in the Fourteenth 
 Century. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by 
 GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 A story of Venice at a period when her strength and splendor 
 were put to the severest tests. The hero displays a fine sense and 
 manliness which carry him safely through an atmosphere of in- 
 trigue, crime, and bloodshed. He contributes largely to the vic- 
 tories of the Venetians at Porto d'Anzo and Chioggia, and finally 
 wins the hand of the daughter of one of the chief men of Venice 
 
 '' s Every boy should read ' The Lion of St. Mark.' Mr. Henty has never pro 
 duced a story more delightful, more wholesome, or more vivacious. 11 Satur- 
 day ] levieiv. 
 
 A Final Reckoni.i : A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. ByG. A. 
 
 HENTY. With full- page Illustrations by W. B. WOLLEN, 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00, 
 
 The hero, a young English lad. after rather a stormy boyhood, 
 emigrates to Australia, and gets employment as an officer in the 
 mounted police. A few years of active work on the frontier, 
 where he has many a brush with both natives and bushrangers, 
 gain him promotion to a captaincy, and he eventually settles 
 down to the peaceful life of a squatter. 
 
 " Mr. Henty has never published a more readable, a more carefully con- 
 structed, or a better written story than this " Spectator. 
 
 Under Drake's Flag : A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. 
 
 HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the 
 supremacy of the sea. The heroes sail as lads with Drake in the 
 Pacific expedition, and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. 
 The historical portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, 
 but this will perhaps be less attractive than the great variety of 
 exciting adventure through which the young heroes pass in the 
 course of their voyages. 
 
 " A book of adventure, where the hero meets with experience enough, on 
 would think, to turn his hair gray." Harper's Monthly Magazine. 
 
 By Sheer Pluck : A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G, A. HENTY. 
 
 With full- page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo s 
 
 cloth price $1 00. 
 
 The author has woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the de 
 tails of the Ashanti campaign, of which he was himself a witness 
 His hero, after many exciting adventures in the interior, is de 
 tained a prisoner by the king just before the outbreak of the war, 
 but escapes, and accompanies the English expedit:on on their 
 march to Coomassie. 
 
 " Mr. Henty keeps up his reputation as a writer of boys' stories. ' By Sheet 
 Pluck ' will be eagerly read. 11 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 By Pike and Dyke : A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. 
 By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by MAYNARB 
 BROWN, and 4 Maps. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 In this story Mr. Henty traces the adventures and brave deeds 
 of an English boy in the household of the ablest man of his age > 
 William the Silent. Edward Martin, the son of an English sea- 
 captain, enters the service of the Prince as a volunteer, and is em- 
 ployed by him in many dangerous and responsible missions, in the 
 discharge of which he passes through the great sieges of the time, 
 He ultimately settles down as Sir Edward Martin. 
 
 " Boys with a turn for historical research will be enchanted with the book, 
 while the rest who only care for adventure will be students in spite of them- 
 selves." S. James' Gazette. 
 
 St. George for England : A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By 
 
 G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON 
 
 BROWNE. 12mo. cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 No portion of English history is more crowded with great events 
 than that of the reign of Edward III. Cressy and Poitiers; the 
 destruction of the Spanish fleet; the plague of the Black Death; 
 tte Jacquerie rising; these are treated by the author in " St. 
 George for England." The hero of the story, although of good 
 family, begins life as a London apprentice, but after countless ad. 
 ventures and perils becomes by valor and good conduct the squire, 
 and at last the trusted friend of the Black Prince. 
 
 " Mr. Henty has developed for himself a type of historical novel for boys 
 which bids fair to supplement, on their behalf, the historical labors of Sir 
 Walter Scott in the land of fiction." The Standard. 
 
 Captain's Kidd's Gold: The True Story of an Adventurous Sailor 
 Boy. By JAMES FRANKLIN FITTS. 12mo, clot >, price $1.00. 
 There is something fascinating to the average youth in the very 
 idea of buried treasure. A vision arises before his eyes of swarthy 
 Portuguese and Spanish rascals, with black beards and gleaming 
 eyes sinister-looking fellows who once on a time haunted the 
 Spanish Main, sneaking out from some hidden creek in their long, 
 low schooner, of picaroonish rake and sheer, to attack an unsus- 
 pecting trading craft. There were many famous sea rovers in 
 their day, but none more celebrated than Capt. Kidd. Perhaps 
 the most fascinating tale of all is Mr. Fitts' true story of an adven. 
 turous American boy, who receives from his dying father an 
 ancient bit of vellum, which the latter obtained in a curious way. 
 The document bears obscure directions purporting to locate a cer- 
 tain island in the Bahama group, aod a considerable treasure 
 buried there by two of Kidd's crew. The hero of this book, 
 Paul Jones Garry, is an ambitious, persevering lad, of salt-watei 
 New England ancestry, and his efforts to reach the island and 
 secure the money form one of the most absorbing tales for our 
 youth that lias come from the press. 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Captain Bayley's Heir : A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. 
 
 By G. A. HENTY. With full- page Illustrations by H. M. 
 
 PAGET. 12mo, cloth, price $1.(K\ 
 
 A frank, manly lad and his cousin are rivals in theheirshipof a 
 considerable property. The former falls into a trap laid by the 
 latter, and while under a false accusation of theft foolishly leaves 
 England for America. He works his passage before the mast, 
 joins a small band of hunters, crosses a tract of country infested 
 with Indians to the Californian gold diggings, and is successful 
 both as digger and trader. 
 
 "Mr. Hen ty is careful to mingle Instruction with entertainment; and the 
 humorous touches, especially in thte sketch of John Holl, the Westminster 
 dustman, Dickens himself could hardly have excelled. 11 Christian Leader. 
 
 For Name and Fame ; or, Through Afghan Passes. By G. A. 
 
 HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 An interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, 
 after being wrecked and going through many stirring adventures 
 among the Malays, finds his way to Calcutta and enlists in a regi- 
 ment proceeding to join the army at the Afghan passes. He ac- 
 companies the force under General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, 
 is wounded, taken prisoner, carried to Cabul, whence he is trans- 
 ferred to Candahar, and takes part in the final defeat of the army 
 of Ayoub Khan. 
 
 "The best feature of the book apart from the interest of its scenes of ad- 
 venture is its honest effort to do justice to the patriotism of the Afghan 
 people. 1 ' Daily News. 
 
 Captured by Apes : The Wonderful Adventures of a Young 
 Animal Trainer. By HARRY PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, $1.00. 
 The scene of this tale is laid on an island in the Malay Archi- 
 pelago. Philip Garland, a young animal collector and trainer, of 
 New York, sets sail for Eastern seas in quest of a new stock of 
 living curiosities. The vessel is wrecked off the coast of Borneo 
 and young Garland, the sole survivor of the disaster, is cast ashore 
 on a small island, and captured by the apes that overrun the 
 place. The lad discovers that the ruling spirit of the monkey 
 tribe is a gigantic and vicious baboon, whom he identifies as 
 Goliah, an animal at one time in his possession and with whose 
 instruction he had been especially diligent. The brute recognizes 
 him, and with a kind of malignant satisfaction puts his former 
 master through the same course of training he had himself ex- 
 perienced with a faithfulness of detail which shows how astonish- 
 ing is monkey recollection. Very novel indeed is the way by 
 which the young man escapes death. Mr. Prentice has certainly 
 worked a new vein on juvenile fiction, and the ability with which 
 he handles a difficult subject stamps him as a writer of undoubted 
 
6 A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Bravest of the Brave ; or, With Peterborough in Spain. 
 
 By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by E. M. 
 
 PAGET. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so 
 completely fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peter- 
 borough. This is largely due to the fact that they were over- 
 shadowed by the glory and successes of Marlborough. His career 
 as general extended over little more than a year, and yet, in that 
 time, he showed a genius for warfare which has never been sur- 
 
 u Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work to enforce 
 the doctrine of courage and truth. Lads will read 4 The Bravest of the Brave ' 
 with pleasure and profit; of that we are quite sure." Daily Telegraph, 
 
 The Cat of Bubastes : A Story of Ancient Egypt. By G. A. 
 
 HENTY. With full-page Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 A story which will give young readers an unsurpassed insight 
 into the customs of the Egyptian people. Amuba, a prince of the 
 Rebu nation, is carried with his charioteer Jethro into slavery. 
 They become inmates of the house of Ameres, the Egyptian high- 
 priest, and are happy in his service until the priest's son acci- 
 dentally kills the sacred cat of Bubastes. In an outburst of popular 
 fury Ameres is killed, and it rests with Jethro and Amuba to 
 secure the escape of the high-priest's son and daughter. 
 
 " The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred cat to the 
 perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very skillfully constructed 
 and full of exciting adventures. It is admirably illustrated. 1 ' Saturday 
 Review. 
 
 With Washington at Monmouth : A Story of Three Phila- 
 delphia Boys. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 Three Philadelphia boys, Seth Graydon "whose mother con- 
 ducted a boarding-house'which was patronized by the British 
 officers;" Enoch Ball, "son of that Mrs. Ball whose dancing 1 
 school was situated on Letitia Street," and little Jacob, son of 
 " Chris, the Baker," serve as the principal characters. The 
 story is laid during the winter when Lord Howe held possession 
 of the city, and the lads aid the cause by assisting the American 
 spies who make regular and frequent visits from Valley Forge. 
 One reads here of home-life in the captive city when bread was 
 scarce among the people of the lower classes, and a reckless prodi- 
 gality shown by the British officers, who passed the winter in 
 feasting and merry-making while the members of the patriot army 
 but a few miles away were suffering from both cold and hunger. 
 The story abounds with pictures of Colonial life skillfully 
 drawn, and the glimpses of Washington's soldiers which are given 
 show that the work has not heu hastily done, or without con- 
 siderable study. 
 
A. L. BtJKT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 For the Temple : A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. By G. A. 
 
 HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by S. J. SOLOMON. 12uao, 
 
 cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Mr. Henty here weaves into the record of Josephus an admirable 
 and attractive story. The troubles in the district of Tiberias, the 
 march of the legions, the sieges of Jotapata, of Uamala, and of 
 Jerusalem, form the impressive and carefully studied historic 
 setting to the figure of the lad who passes from the vineyard to 
 the service of Josephus, becomes the leader of a guerrilla bandol 
 patriots, fights bravely for the Temple, and after a brief term of 
 slavery at Alexandria, returns to his Galilean home with the favor 
 of Titus. 
 
 " Mr. Henty 's graphic prose pictures of the hopeless Jewish resistance to 
 Roman sway add another leaf to his record of the famous wars of the world. 11 
 ^-Graphic. 
 
 Facing Death ; or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of 
 the Coal Mines. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustra- 
 tions by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 " Facing Death " is a story with a purpose. It is intended to 
 show that a lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that 
 he will rise in life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicule 
 and hardship to carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. 
 The hero of the story is a typical British boy, dogged, earnest, 
 generous, and though " shamefaced" to a degree, is ready to face 
 death in the discharge of duty. 
 
 " The tale is well written and well illustrated, Eii" there is much reality in 
 the characters. If any father, clergyman, or schoolmaster is on the lookout 
 for a good book to give as a present to a boy who is \>'orth his salt, this is the 
 book we would recommend." Standard. 
 
 Tom Temple's Career. By HORATIO ALGEK. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 price $1.00. 
 
 Tom Temple, a bright, self-reliant lad, by the death of his 
 father becomes a boarder at the home of Nathan Middleton, a 
 penurious insurance agent. Though well paid for keeping the 
 boy, Nathan and his wife endeavor to bring Master Tom in line 
 with their parsimonious habits. The lad ingeniously evades their 
 efforts and revolutionizes the household. As Tom is heir to 
 $40,000, he is regarded as a person of some importance until by 
 an unfortunate combination of circumstances his fortune shrinks 
 to a few hundreds. He leaves Plympton village to seek work in 
 New York, whence he undertakes an important mission to Cali- 
 fornia, around which center the most exciting incidents of his 
 young career. Some of his adventures in the far west are so 
 startling that the reader will scarcely close the book until the last 
 page shall have been reached. The tale is written in Mr. Alger's 
 most fascinating style, and is bound to please the *?ery large class 
 of boys who regard this popular author as a prime favorite. 
 
10 A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War. By 
 G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of 
 the war with the natives. Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, coura- 
 geous lad, is the mainstay of the household. He has for his friend 
 Mr. Atherton, a botanist and naturalist of herculean strength and 
 unfailing nerve and humor. In the adventures among the Maoris, 
 there are many breathless moments in which the odds seem hope* 
 lessly against the party, but they succeed in establishing them- 
 selves happily in one of the pleasant New Zealand valleys. 
 
 "Brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting conversation, and 
 vivid pictures of colonial life." Schoolmaster. 
 
 Julian Mortimer]: A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune. 
 
 By HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Here is a story that will warm every boy's heart. There is 
 mystery enough to keep any lad's imagination wound up to the 
 highest pitch. The scene of the story lies west of the Mississippi 
 River, in the days when emigrants made their perilous way across 
 the great plains to the land of gold. One of the startling features 
 of the book is the attack upon the wagon train by a large party of 
 Indians. Our hero is a lad of uncommon nerve and pluck, a brave 
 young American in every sense of the word. He enlists and holds 
 the reader's sympathy from the outset. Surrounded by an un- 
 known and constant perl, and assisted by the unswerving fidelity 
 of a stalwart trappe~ .* real rough diamond, our hero achieves the 
 most happy results. Harry Castlemon has written many enter- 
 taining stories for boys, and it would seem almost superfluous to 
 say anything in his praise, for the youth of America regard him 
 as a favorite author. 
 
 " Carrots :" Just a Little Boy. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. With 
 Illustrations by WALTER CRANE. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents. 
 41 One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our good for- 
 
 tune to meet with for some time. Carrots and his sister are delightful little 
 
 beings, whom to read about is at once to become very fond of." Examiner. 
 "A genuine children's book; we've seen 'em seize it, and read it greedily. 
 
 Children are first-rate critics, and thoroughly appreciate Walter Crenels 
 
 illustrations." Punch. 
 
 Mopsa the Fairy. By JEAN INGELOW. With Eight page 
 Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents. 
 
 "Mrs. Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living writers for 
 children, and ' Mopsa 1 alone ought to give her. a kind of pre-emptive right to 
 the love and gratitude of our young folks. It requires genius to conceive 
 purely imaginary work which must of necessity deal with the supernatural, 
 without running into a mere rior of fantastic absurdity; but genius Miss In- 
 gelow has and the story of l Jack ' is as careless and joyous, out as delicate, 
 as a picture of childhood." Eclectic. 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 11 
 
 A Jaunt Through Java : The Story of a Journey to the Sacred 
 Mountain, By EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 The central interest of this story is found in the thrilling ad- 
 ventures of two cousins, Hennon and Eustace Hadley, on their 
 trip across the island of Java, from Satnaraug to the Sacred Moun- 
 tain. In a land where the Royal Bengal tiger runs at large; 
 where the rhinoceros and other fierce beasts are to be met with 
 at unexpected moments; it is but natural that the heroes of this 
 book should have a lively experience. Hermon not only dis- 
 tinguishes himself by killing a full-grown tiger at short range> 
 but meets with the most startling adventure of the journey. 
 There is much in this narrative to instruct as well as entertain the 
 reader, and so deftly has Mr. Ellis used his material that there is 
 not a dull page in the book. The two heroes are brave, manly 
 young fellows, bubbling over with boyish independence. They 
 cope with the many difficulties that arise during the trip in a fear- 
 less way that is bound to win the admiration of every lad who is 
 so fortunate as to read their adventures. 
 
 Wrecked on Spider Island; or, How Ned Rogers Found the 
 Treasure. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 A. " down-east" plucky lad who ships as cabin boy, not from 
 love of adventure, but because it is the only course remaining by 
 which he can gain a livelihood. While in his bunk, seasick, 
 Ned Rogers hears the captain and mate discussing their plans for 
 the willful wreck of the brig in order to gain the insurance. Once 
 it is known he is in possession of the secret the captain maroons 
 him on Spider Island, explaining to the crew that the boy is 
 afflicted with leprosy. While thus involuntarily playing the part 
 of a Crusoe, Ned discovers a wreck submerged in the sand, and 
 overhauling the timbers for the purpose of gathering material 
 with which to build a hut finds a considerable amount of treasure. 
 Raising the wreck; a voyage to Havana under sail; shipping there 
 a crew and running for' Savannah; the attempt of the crew to 
 seize the little craft after learning of the treasure on board, and, 
 as a matter of course, the successful ending of the journey, all 
 serve to make as entertaining a story of sea-life as the most 
 captious boy could desire. 
 
 Geoff and Jim: A Story of School Life. By ISMAY THORN. Il- 
 lustrated by A. G. WALKER. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents. 
 
 "This is a prettily told story of the life spent by two motherless bairns at 
 a small preparatory school. Both Geoff and Jim are very lovable characters, 
 only Jin: s the more so; and the scrapes he gets into and the trials he en- 
 dures wi no doubt, interest a large circle of young readers. 11 Church 
 Times. 
 
 " This is a capital children's story, the characters well portrayed, and the 
 book tastefully bound and well illustrated.'" Schoolmaster. 
 
 "The story can be heartily recommended as a present for boys." 
 Standard. 
 
A. L. HURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Castaways; or, On the Florida Reefs, By JAMES OTIS. 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 This tale smacks of the salt sea. It is just the kind of story 
 that the majority of boys yearn for. From the moment that the 
 Sea Queen dispenses with the services of the tug in lower New 
 York bay till the breeze leaves her becalmed off the coast of 
 Florida, one can almost hear the whistle of the wind through her 
 vigging, the creak of her straining cordage as she heels to the 
 Iweward, and feel her rise to the snow-capped waves which her 
 elarp bow cuts into twin streaks of foam. Off Marquesas Keys 
 sh ? floats in a dead calm. Ben Clark, the hero of the story, and 
 Jafce, the cook, spy a turtle asleep upon the glassy surface of the 
 water. They determine to capture him, and take a boat for that 
 purpose, and just as they succeed in catching him a thick fog 
 cuti5 them off from the vessel, and then their troubles be in. 
 They take refuge on board a drifting hulk, a storm arises and they 
 are oast ashore upon a low sandy key. Their adventures from 
 this point cannot fail to charm the reader. As a writer for young 
 people Mr. Otis is a prime favorite. His style is captivating, and 
 never for a moment does he allow the interest to flag. In " The 
 Castaways " he is at his best. 
 
 Tom Thatcher's Fortune. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Like all of Mr. Alger's heroes, Tom Thatcher is a brave, am- 
 bitious, unselfish boy. He supports his mother and sister on 
 meager wages earned as a shoe-pegger in John Simpson's factory. 
 The story begins with Tom's discharge from the factory, because 
 Mr. Simpson felt annoyed with the lad for interrogating him too 
 closely about his missing father. A few days afterward Torn 
 learns that which induces him to start overland for California with 
 the view of probing the family mystery. He meets with many ad- 
 ventures. Ultimately he returns to his native village, bringing con- 
 sternation to the soul of John Simpson, who only escapes the con- 
 sequences of his villainy by making full restitution to the man 
 whose friendship he had betrayed. The story is told in that en- 
 tertaining way which has made Mr. Alger's name a household 
 word in so many homes. 
 
 Birdie : A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. CHILDE PEMBERTON, 
 Illustrated by H. W. RAINEY. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents. 
 
 " The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about it that 
 makes one Hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery shout of children at 
 play which oharmed his earlier years.' 1 New York Express. 
 
 Popular Fairy Tales. By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely 
 Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 " From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are delightful." 
 Athenaeum. 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 13 
 
 With Lafayette at Yorktown : A Story of How Two Boys 
 Joined the Continental Army. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, 
 price $1.00. 
 
 The two boys are from Portsmouth, N. H., and are introduced 
 in August, 1781, when on the point of leaving home to enlist in 
 Col. Scammell's regiment, then stationed near New York City. 
 Their method of traveling is on horseback, and the author has 
 given an interesting account of what was expected from boys in 
 the Colonial days. The lads, after no slight amount of adventure, 
 are sent as messengers not soldiers into the south to find the 
 troops under Lafayette. Once with that youthful general they 
 are given employment as spies, and enter the British camp, 
 bringing away valuable information. The pictures of camp-life 
 are carefully drawn, and the portrayal of Lafayette's character is 
 thoroughly well done. The story is wholesome in tone, as are all 
 of Mr. Otis' works. There is no lack of exciting incident which 
 the youthful reader craves, but it is healthful excitement brim- 
 ming with facts which every boy should be familiar with, and 
 while the reader is following the adventures of Ben Jaffreys and 
 Ned Allen he is acquiring a fund of historical lore which will 
 remain in his memory long after that which he has memorized 
 from text-books has been forgotten. 
 
 Lost in the Canon : Sain Willett's Adventures on the Great 
 Colorado. By ALFRED R. CALHOUN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 This story hinges on a fortune left to Sam Willett, the hero, 
 and the fact that it will pass to a disreputable relative if the lad 
 dies before he shall have reached his majority. The Vigilance 
 Committee of Hurley's Gulch arrest Sam's father and an associate 
 for the crime of murder. Their lives depend on the production 
 of the receipt given for money paid. This is in Sam's possession 
 at the camp on the other side of the canon. A messenger is dis- 
 patched to get it. He reaches the lad in the midst of a fearful 
 storm which floods the canon. His father's peril urges Sam to 
 action. A raft is built on which the boy and his friends essay to 
 cross the torrent. They fail to do so, and a desperate trip down 
 the stream ensues. How the party finally escape from the hor- 
 rors of their situation and Sain reaches Hurley's Gulch in the very 
 nick of time, is described in a graphic style that stamps Mr. Cal- 
 houn as a master of his art. 
 
 Jack : A Topsy Turvy Story. By C. M. CRAWLEY-BOEVEY O 
 With upward of Thirty Illustrations by H. J. A. MILES. 
 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents. 
 
 "The illustrations deserve particular mention, as they add largely to the 
 interest of this amusing volume for children. Jack falls asleep with his mind 
 full of the subject of the fishpond, and is very much surprised presently to 
 find himself an inhabitant of Watervvorld, where he goes though wonderful 
 and edifying adventures. A handsome and pleasant book. 11 Literary World. 
 
14 A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Search for the Silver City : A Tale of Adventure in Yucatan. 
 
 By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Two American lads, Teddy Wright and Neal Emery, embark 
 on the steam yacht Day Dream for a short summer cruise to the 
 tropics. Homeward bound the yacht is destroyed by fire. All 
 hands take to the boats, but during the night the boat is cast upon 
 the coast of Yucatan. They come across a young American 
 named Cummings, who entertains them with the story of the 
 wonderful Silver City, of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians. Cum- 
 miugs proposes with the aid of a faithful Indian ally to brave 
 the perils of the swamp and carry off a number of the golden 
 images from the temples. Pursued with relentless vigor for days 
 their situation is desperate. At last their escape is effected in an 
 astonishing manner. Mr. Otis has built his story on an historical 
 foundation. It is so full of exciting incidents that the reader is 
 quite carried away with the novelty and realism of the narrative. 
 
 Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. ISino, 
 
 cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Thrown upon his own resources Frank Fowler, a poor boy, 
 bravely determines to make a living for himself and his foster- 
 sister Grace. Going to New York he obtains a situation as cash 
 boy in a dry goods store. He renders a service to a wealthy old 
 gentleman named Wharton, who takes a fancy to the lad. Frank, 
 after losing his place as cash boy, is enticed by an enemy to a 
 lonesome part of New Jersey and held a prisoner. This move re- 
 coils upon the plotter, for it leads to a clue that enables the lad to 
 establish his real identity. Mr. Alger's stories are not only un- 
 usually interesting, but they convey a useful lesson of pluck and 
 manly independence. 
 
 Budd Boyd's Triumph ; or, the Boy Firm of Fox Island. By 
 WILLIAM P. CHIPMAN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 The scene of this story is laid on the upper part of Narragansett 
 Bay, and the leading incidents have a strong salt-water flavor. 
 Owing to the conviction of his father for forgery and theft, Budd 
 Boyd is compelled to leave his home and strike out for himself. 
 Chance brings Budd in contact with Judd Floyd. The two boys, 
 being ambitious and clear sighted, form a partnership to catch 
 and sell fish. The scheme is successfully launched, but the un- 
 expected appearance on the scene of Thomas Bagsley, the man 
 whom Budd believes guilty of the crimes attributed to his father, 
 leads to several disagreeable complications that nearly caused the 
 lad's ruin. His pluck and good sense, however, carry him through 
 his troubles. In following the career of the boy firm of Boyd & 
 Floyd, the youthful reader will find a useful lesson that industry 
 and perseverance are bound to lead to ultimate success. 
 
A. L. HURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 15 
 
 The Errand Boy; or, How Phil Brent Won Success. By 
 HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12rno, cloth, price $1.00. 
 The career of " The Errand Boy" embraces the city adventures 
 of a smart country lad who at an early age was abandoned by his 
 father. Philip was brought up by a kind-hearted innkeeper 
 named Brent. The death of Mrs. Brent paved the way for the 
 hero's subsequent troubles. Accident introduces him to the 
 notice of a retired merchant in New York, who not only secures 
 him the situation of errand boy but thereafter stands as his 
 friend. An unexpected turn of fortune's wheel, however, brings 
 Philip and his father together. In "The Errand Boy" Philip 
 Brent is possessed of the same sterling qualities so conspicuous in 
 all of the previous creations of this delightful writer for our youth. 
 
 The Slate Picker : The Story of a Boy's Life in the Coal Mines. 
 
 By HARRY PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 This is a story of a boy's life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania 
 There are many thrilling situations, notably that of Ben Burton's 
 leap into the " lion's mouth " the yawning shute in the breakers 
 to escape a beating at the hands of the savage Spilkins, the 
 overseer. Grade Gordon is a little angel in rags, Terence O'Dowd 
 is a manly, sympathetic lad, and Enoch Evan?, the miner- poet, is 
 a big-hearted, honest fellow, a true friend to all whose bur- 
 dens seem too heavy for them to bear. Ben Burton, the hero, had 
 a hard road to travel, but by grit and energy he advanced step by 
 step until he found himself called upon to fill the position of 
 chief engineer of the Kohinoor Coal Company. 
 
 A Runaway Brig ; or, An Accidental Cruise. By JAMES OTIS. 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 " A Runaway Brig " is a sea tale, pure and simple, and that's 
 where it strikes a boy's fancy. The reader can look out upon 
 the .wide shimmering sea as it flashes back the sunlight, and 
 imagine himself afloat with Harry Vandyne, Walter Morse, Jim 
 Libby and that old shell-back, Bob Brace, on the brig Bonita t 
 which lands on one of the Bahama keys. Finally three strangers 
 steal the craft, leaving the rightful owners to shift for themselves 
 aboard a broken-down tug. The boys discover a mysterious 
 document which enables them to find a buried treasure, then a 
 storm comes on and the tug is stranded. At last a yacht comes in 
 sight and the party with the treasure is taken off the lonely key,. 
 The most exacting youth is sure to be fascinated with this enter- 
 taining story. 
 
 Fairy Tales and Stories. By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. 
 Profusely Illustrated, 12rao, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 " If I were asked to select a child's library I should name these three volumes 
 'English, 1 ' Celtic, 1 and 'Indian Fairy Tales,' with Grimm and Hans Ander- 
 sen's Fairy Tales." Independent. 
 
16 A. L. BtTRT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Island Treasure ; or, Harry Barrel's Fortune. By FRANK 
 
 H. CONVERSE. 12ino, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Harry Darrel, an orphan, having received a nautical training on 
 a school-ship, is bent on going to sea with a boyish acquaintance 
 named Dan Plunket. A runaway horse changes his prospects. 
 Harry saves Dr. Gregg from drowning and the doctor presents his 
 preserver with a bit of property known as Gregg's Island, and 
 makes the lad sailing-master of his sloop yacht. A piratical hoard 
 is supposed to be hidden somewhere on the island. After much 
 search and many thwarted plans, at last Dan discovers the 
 treasure and is the means of finding Harry's father. Mr. Con- 
 verse's stories possess a charm of their own which is appreciated 
 by lads who delight in good healthy tales that smack of salt 
 water. 
 
 The Boy Explorers: The Adventures of Two Boys in Alaska. 
 
 By HARRY PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Two boys, Raymond and Spencer Manning, travel from San 
 Francisco to Alaska to join their father in search of their uncle, 
 who, it is believed, was captured and detained by the inhabitants 
 of a place called the " Heart of Alaska." On their arrival at 
 Sitka the boys with an Indian guide set off across the mountains. 
 The trip is fraught with perils that test the lads' courage to the 
 utmost. Reaching the Yukon River they build a raft and float 
 down the stream, entering the Mysterious River, from which they 
 barely escape with their lives, only to be captured by natives of 
 the Heart of Alaska. All through their exciting adventures the 
 lads demonstrate what can be accomplished by pluck and resolu- 
 tion, and their experience makes one of the most interesting tales 
 ever written. 
 
 The Treasure Finders : A Boy's Adventures in Nicaragua. By 
 
 JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Roy and Dean Coloney, with their guide Tongla, leave their 
 father's indigo plantation to visit the wonderful ruins of an ancient 
 city. The boys eagerly explore the dismantled temples of an ex- 
 tinct race and discover three golden images cunningly hidden 
 away. They escape with the greatest difficulty; by taking advan- 
 tage of a festive gathering they seize a canoe and fly down the 
 river. Eventually they reach safety with their golden prizes. 
 Mr. Otis is the prince of story tellers, for he handles his material 
 with consummate skill. We doubt if he has ever written a more 
 entertaining story than " The Treasure Finders." 
 
 Household Fairy Tales. By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely 
 Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 " As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages this work 
 ranks second to none." Daily Graphic. 
 
A. L BUHT'S PUBLICATIONS. 17 
 
 Dan the Newsboy. By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, 
 
 price $1.00. 
 
 The reader is introduced to Dan Mordaunt and his mother living 
 in a poor tenement, and the lad is pluckily trying to make ends 
 meet by selling papers in the streets of New York. A little 
 heiress of six years is confided to the care of the Mordaunts. At 
 the same time the lad obtains a position in a wholesale house. 
 He soon demonstrates how valuable he is to the firm by detecting 
 the \ ookkeeper in a bold attempt to rob his employers. The 
 chil i is kidnaped and Dan tracks the child to the house where 
 she h hidden, and rescues her. The wealthy aunt of the little 
 heiress is so delighted with Dan's courage and many good qualities 
 that she adopts him as her heir, and the conclusion of the book 
 leaves the hero on the high road to every earthly desire. 
 
 Tony the Hero : A Brave Boy's Adventure with a Tramp. By 
 HORATIO ALGER, JR 12mo, cloth, price $1.00= 
 Tony, a sturdy bright-eyed boy of fourteen, is under the control 
 of Rudolph Rugg, a thorough rascal, shiftless and lazy, spending 
 his time tramping about the country. After much abuse Tony 
 runs away and gets a job as stable boy in a country hotel. Tony is 
 heir to a large estate in England, and certain persons find it nec- 
 essary to produce proof of the lad's death. Rudolph for a con- 
 sideration hunts up Tony and throws him down a deep well. Of 
 course Tony escapes from the fate provided for him, and by a 
 brave act makes a rich friend, with whom he goes to England, 
 where he secures his rights and is prosperous. The fact that Mr. 
 Alger is the author of this entertaining book will at once recom- 
 mend it to all juvenile readers. 
 
 A Young Hero; or, Fighting to Win. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. 
 
 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 This storytells how a valuable solid silver service was stolen 
 from the Misses Perkinpine, two very old and simple minded 
 ladies. Fred Sheldon, the hero of this story and a friend of the 
 old ladies, undertakes to discover the thieves and have them ar- 
 rested. After much time spent in detective work, he succeeds in, 
 discovering the silver plate and winning the reward for its re- 
 storation. During the narrative a circus comes to town and a 
 thrilling account of the escape of the lion from its cage, with its 
 recapture, is told in Mr. Ellis' most fascinating style. Every 
 boy will be glad to read this delightful book. 
 
 The Days of Bruce: A Story from Scottish History. By GRACE 
 AGUILAR. Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 "There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about all of Grace 
 Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the interest and admiration qf 
 every lover of good reading. 11 .Boston $e*cork> 
 
18 A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Tom the Bootblack ; or, The Road to Success. By HORATIO 
 
 ALGEB, JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 A bright, enterprising lad was Tom the bootblack. He was 
 not at all ashamed of his humble calling, though always on the 
 lookout to better himself. His guardian, old Jacob Morton, died, 
 leaving him a small sum of money and a written confession that 
 Tom, instead of being of humble origin, was the son and heir of 
 a deceased Western merchant, and had been defrauded out of his 
 just rights by an unscrupulous uncle. The lad started for Cin- 
 cinnati to look up his heritage. But three years passed away 
 before he obtained his first clue. Mr. Grey, the uncle, did not 
 hesitate to employ a ruffian to kill the lad. "The plan failed, ind 
 Gilbert Grey, once Tom the bootblack, came into a comfortable 
 fortune. This is one of Mr. Alger's best stories. 
 
 Captured by Zulus : A story of Trapping in Africa. By HARRY 
 
 PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 This story details the adventures of two lads, Dick Els worth 
 and Bob Harvey, in the wilds of South Africa, for the purpose of 
 obtaining a supply of zoological curiosities. By stratagem the 
 Zulus capture Dick and Bob and take them to their principal 
 kraal or village. The lads escape death by digging their way 
 out of the prison hut by night. They are pursued, and after a 
 rough experience the boys eventually rejoin the expedition and 
 take part in several wild animal hunts. The Zulus finally give 
 up pursuit and the expedition arrives at the coast without further 
 trouble. ^ Mr. Prentice has a delightful method of blending fact 
 with fiction. He tells exactly how wild-beast collectors secure 
 specimens on their native stamping grounds, and these descrip- 
 tions make very entertaining reading. 
 
 Tom the Ready ; or, Up from the Lowest. By RANDOLPH 
 
 HILL. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 This is a dramatic narrative of the unaided rise of a fearless, 
 ambitious boy from the lowest round of fo tune's ladder the 
 gate of the poorhouse to wealth and the governorship of hia 
 native State. Thomas Seacomb begins life with a purpose. While 
 yet a schoolboy he conceives and presents to the world the germ 
 of the Overland Express Co. At the very outset of his career 
 jealousy and craft seek to blast his promising future. Later he 
 sets out to obtain a charter for a railroad line in connection with 
 the express business. Now he realizes what it is to match him- 
 self against capital. Yet he wins and the railroad is built. Only 
 an uncommon nature like Tom's could successfully oppose such a 
 combine. How he manages to win the battle is told by Mr. Hill 
 in a masterful way that thrills the reader and holds his attention 
 and sympathy to the end. 
 
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS. 19 
 
 Roy Gilbert's Search : A Tale of the Great Lakes, By WM. P. 
 
 CHIPMAN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 A deep mystery hangs over the parentage of Roy Gilbert. 
 He arranges with two schoolmates to make a tour of the 
 Great Lakes on a steam launch. The three boys leave Erie on 
 the launch and visit many points of interest on the lakes. Soon 
 afterward the lad is conspicuous in the rescue of an elderly gentle 
 man and a lady from a sinking yacht. Later on the cruise of the 
 launch is brought to a disastrous termination and the boys nar- 
 rowly escape with their lives. The hero is a manly, self-reliant 
 boy, whose adventures will be followed with interest. 
 
 The Young Scout; The Story of a West Point Lieutenant. By 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 The crafty Apache chief Geronimo but a few years ago was the 
 most terrible scourge of the southwest border. The author has 
 woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the incidents of Geronimo's 
 last raid. The hero is Lieutenant James Decker, a recent graduate 
 of West Point. Ambitious to distinguish himself so as to win 
 well-deserved promotion, the young man takes many a desperate 
 chance against the enemy a_*d on more than one occasion nar- 
 rowly escapes with his life. The story naturally abounds in 
 thrilling situations, and being historically correct, it is reasonable 
 to believe it will find great favor with the boys. In our opinion 
 Mr. Ellis is the best writer of Indian stories now before the 
 public. 
 
 Adrift in the Wilds : The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked 
 Boys. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price, $1.00. 
 
 Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, cousins and school- 
 mates, accompanied by a lively Irishman called O'Rooney, are en 
 route for San Francisco. Off the coast of California the steamer 
 takes fire. The two boys and their companion reach the shore 
 with several of the passengers. While O'Rooney and the lads 
 are absent inspecting the neighborhood O'Rooney has an excit- 
 ing experience and young Brandon becomes separated from his 
 party. He is captured by hostile Indians, but is rescued by an 
 Indian whom the lads had assisted. This is a very entertaining 
 narrative of Southern California in the days immediately preced- 
 ing the construction of the Pacific railroads. Mr. Ellis seems to 
 be particularly happy in this line of fiction, and the present story 
 is fully as entertaining as anything he has ever written. 
 
 The Red Fairy Book. Edited by ANDREW LANG. Profusely 
 
 Illustrated, 12rno, cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 "A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk who have been 
 fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery stories." Literary 
 World. 
 
20 A. u. BUBT'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 The Boy Cruisers ; or, Paddling in Florida. BY ST. GEORGE 
 
 RATHBORNE. 12mo, cloth, price, $1.00. 
 
 Boys who like an admixture of sport and adventure will find 
 this book just to their taste. We promise them that they will 
 not go to sleep over the rattling experiences of Andrew George 
 and Roland Carter, who start on a canoe trip along the Gulf 
 coast, from Key West to Tampa, Florida. Their first adventure 
 is with a pair of rascals who steal their boats. Next they run 
 into a gale in the Gulf and have a lively experience while it lasts. 
 After that they have a lively time with alligators and divers 
 varieties of the finny tribe. Andrew gets into trouble with a 
 band of Seminole Indians and gets away without having his 
 scalp raised. After this there is no lack of fun till they 
 reach their destination. That Mr. Rathborne knows just how to 
 interest the boys is apparent at a glance, and lads who are in 
 search of a rare treat will do well to read this entertaining story. 
 
 Guy Harris : The Runaway. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, 
 
 cloth, price $1.00. 
 
 Guy Harris lived in a small city on the shore of one. of the 
 Great Lakes. His head became filled" with quixotic notions of 
 going West to hunt grizzlies, in fact, Indians. He is per- 
 suaded to go to sea, and gets a glimpse of the rough side of life 
 in a sailor's hoarding house. He ships on a vessel and for five 
 months leads a hard life. He deserts his ship at San Francisco 
 and starts out to become a backwoodsman, but rough experiences 
 soon cure him of all desire to be a hunter. At St. Louis he be- 
 comes a clerk and for a time he yields to the temptations of a 
 great city. The book will not only interest boys generally on 
 account of its graphic style, but will put many facts before their 
 eyes in a new light. This is one of Castlemon's most attractive 
 stories. 
 
 The Train Boy. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price 
 
 $1.00. 
 
 Paul Palmer was a wide-awake boy of sixteen who supported 
 his mother and sister by selling books and papers on one of the 
 trains running between Chicago and Milwaukee. He detects a 
 young man named Luke Denton in the act of picking the pocket 
 of a young lady, and also incurs the enmity of his brother Ste- 
 phen, a worthless follow. Luke and Stephen plot to ruin Paul, 
 but their plans are frustrated. In a railway accident many pas- 
 sengers are killed, but Paul is fortunate enough to assist a Chicago 
 merchant, who out of gratitude takes him into his employ. Paul 
 is sent to manage a mine in Custer City and executes his com- 
 mission with tact and judgment and is well started on the road 
 to business prominence. This is one of Mr. Alger's most attrac- 
 tive stories and is a are to please all readers. 
 
Hi 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
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 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 '. 
 
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 1937 
 
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY